Gennady Katzov, Editor in Chief of Metro magazine
The majority of our immigrants are radicals that always demand something. When they discuss foreign policy, they demand the blood of terrorists or Palestinians, forgetting that there is such a notion as diplomacy and that not all problems are solved by sword. Their attitude to domestic policy can be summarized by the word "give!" Give us everything—from social programs to a place in the government. Unfortunately, this radicalism is spineless; it is not followed by an impulse to act. It is the radicalism of the Soviet intelligentsia of the 1970s, when you could express your extreme opinions in your own kitchen. That is why we cannot normally and actively support our own representatives during local elections.
The majority of Russian-Jewish immigrants do not really understand the difference between right-wingers and left-wingers; they have little information about the two major parties, about the contrasts between them. The majority of us do not even try to understand the nuances of such problems as the death penalty or abortion. We, former Soviet citizens, used to believe that there was only one answer to any question. Unfortunately, the USSR is still within us. We have brought it with us to America.
Walter Ruby, journalist for the Jewish Week
A poll by the American Jewish Committee and the Research Institute for New Americans shows that Russian speakers are supporting Bush over Kerry by a wide margin. According to the poll, they take very hawkish positions on Israel and on a variety of domestic issues like gay marriage and the death penalty. So, at least for now, the political focus in the Russian-speaking community has swung sharply to the right. However, I don't believe Russians are extreme right-wingers or permanently in the Republican camp. I suspect that if Bush wins and begins cutting social programs, as he is likely to do, the Russian community will begin to swing back to the Democrats, as they did in the 1990s under Clinton. The main reason the Russians are so emphatically for Bush right now is their perception that he has been a strong supporter of Israel at a time of peril for the Jewish state. Yet, Democrats also have a long history of supporting Israel. If Kerry wins and stands by Israel, that would also serve to move Russians back toward the center of the American political landscape.
Aleck Brook-Krasny, Executive Director of the Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations
Political priorities of many Russian-Jewish immigrants are defined not by their place in American society, but by the situation in the Soviet Republic or in Russia at the moment of their emigration. Thirty to 35 percent of us left the USSR – a country of total government control, and allergic to any type of government influence, even in social programs. In contrast, 65 to 70 percent of us left Russia when the country was in total chaos and filled with criminals; that is why they reject the very idea of a state that does not have even an elementary system of social security. Such an approach prepared the ground for radicalism—left or right—and often has strange consequences. For example, there are many more low-income people among us than multimillionaires, but our media is more concerned about taxes than about unemployment. For our rightwing journalists—some of whom are even more afraid to lose their jobs than their readers are— supporting social programs means giving into socialism. These people are sure that they have severed all ties to our country of origin, but in reality they are still there. They confuse the reality of the American society, which is balanced due to competition between the two main political parties, with that of the USSR.
Still, there are positive examples. Many Russian-Jewish doctors do not call Democrats "Communists" any more – they have realized that anywhere from 60 to 70 percent of their income is from the recipients of social programs. These doctors have found their place in American society. So did some of our businessmen who consider free business initiative to be more important than a system of social security.
Samuel Kliger, the head of American Jewish Committee's department for the affairs of Russian-Jewish immigrants
I think that the majority of our immigrants are moderate people with common sense. We cannot be defined in one word. We support the left on some issues and the right on others. For example, we are pro-choice, but against gay marriages. In all, as the last study of the Research Institute for New Americans showed, the majority of our community is more right than left of center. Still, younger people – 18- to 35-years old - are more liberal, while their parents and grandparents are more conservative. This trend is especially true on such issues as foreign policy and the War on Terror. At the same time, there are more low-income people among the older immigrants, and they support social programs.
Boris Fishman, journalist of NewYorker
Russian immigrants seem to be right wing on foreign policy and left wing on social issues. On the foreign front, they view the Republicans as defenders of Israel. Domestically, they believe Democrats support government spending on programs like Social Security Insurance and Section 8 housing, which are very useful to the Russian community. In terms of foreign policy, this is a dramatic reversal from four years ago, when Russian immigrants were overwhelmingly for the Democrats. But the war in Iraq has reversed traditional party positions regarding foreign policy. This brings us to the issue of extremism vs. moderation. In my experience, Russian immigrants tend to be quite extreme, especially on foreign policy. More importantly — and regrettably — it is my experience that they frequently form their opinions without even a modest understanding of the factual political realities, and are often undermined by provincial and racist prejudices; they are incredibly resistant to differing viewpoints. For instance, few that I've spoken to have proved capable of grasping that the war in Iraq, though it did remove Saddam Hussein, may in the end prove to be a grave detriment to Israel. Yes, Saddam is gone, but in his place there are 5,000 fanatical jihadists.
Aaron Khatzkevich, President of Russian American Jewish Historical Society
We are from the Soviet Union. Unlike the rest of the world, we regard orthodox Communists as right-wingers, and their foes as left-wingers. Now we are in America, and everything has changed. That is why the majority of us are right-wingers. Of course, we are moderates. We are radicals only towards terrorists, the enemies of America and Israel. Considering that our enemies all over the world are supporting the liberals, it is not surprising that we will support conservatives, among them President Bush.
Ilya Levkov, political analyst, owner of Liberty Publishing
When I speak on the radio, Russian-Jewish immigrants often demand that I take one clear position, without considering nuances, without giving complex, controversial information. But I am not a hawk or a dove. I do not see the world as black or white. I am more like an owl who can see both in the daylight and in the dark, who can hear that something is moving under the snow – that is, to read between the lines and to understand the idea that was not expressed. Besides, I am a political analyst and am always ready for the unexpected. Immigrants from the former Soviet Union have a totally different approach. They have brought with them their Soviet way of polarization. This is the reason for their radicalism, for their need to grab onto either the left or right wing. Our immigrants are never satisfied with the political analysis that I offer; they want me to help them make decisions, to advise them for whom to vote, to open my heart and soul to them. But I never advise anybody for whom to vote – it is my principle – and I gave my heart to someone else along time ago.
Michael Buzukashvili, host of the radio program New Life
Many of our immigrants have radical views, and the majority of these radicals are right-wingers. Everyday I hear the opinions of dozens of our customers and they all have one thing in common: intolerance, a lack of respect for alternative points of view. As a radio host, I have to be neutral, to give an objective picture of events and not to express my opinion. But, sometimes I am forced to give my opinion, because it is almost the only one that contradicts the opinion of the majority. We often have discussions on political correctness, and I am practically the only one who defends this cornerstone principle of American politics and morality. It seems that we still have the syndrome of unconditional respect towards power, towards an enforced solution to our problems; we still cannot tolerate any other viewpoint except our own.
