From praise to prejudice: How positive stereotypes reinforce antisemitism

Antisemitism-defined as prejudice and hostility toward Jews-is traditionally studied by examining explicit negative stereotypes and historical discriminatory actions against Jewish communities. However, this article explores an often overlooked and understudied dimension: how positive stereotypes about Jewish people paradoxically reinforce antisemitism and contribute to their marginalization. While negative stereotypes about Jews are widely recognized as harmful and unwelcomed, positive stereotypes-such as perception of high intelligence and financial achievements-are frequently misunderstood as benign. We investigate how these seemingly positive traits could facilitate and reinforce negative outcomes for Jewish people. We propose, analogous to the framework built on the model minority myth literature in Asian American Studies literature, that positive stereotypes also perpetuate antisemitism through three psychological mechanisms: (a) othering, social alienation, and eroded social solidarity; (b) fostering resentment and neglecting diversity of ingroup experiences; and (c) enabling scapegoating and conspiracy narratives. We explore their consequences at the individual, group, and societal levels. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).