Jews vs. Native Americans vs. Blacks - Who got it the worst throughout history?

Question

These three groups of people have, throughout history, gone through periods of oppression, slavery, and in some cases, even genocide. But in your opinion, who got it the worst?

IMO I would say Native Americans, based on the fact that they were slaughtered for hundreds of years to near extinction (as evidenced by there being so few today), and, in many cases, were forced to abandon their culture to survive.

In your opinion who got it the worst? This is purely a matter of opinion and I don't want to see any serious flaming/heated debates forming in the comments or answers. Offensive posts will be removed.

Ernem · Accepted Answer

All three suffered and it is very hard to choose one out of these three. However, if I had to name one I would say Native Americans, because not only did they suffer in the past; they are the group that is suffering the most as it is today.

Jews did suffer in the past, but they did come out stronger; by getting their own country Israel. Also, there is an almost international memorial day where people remember and pay attention to their suffering, as well as people – in at least the Western World – being educated about what happened to Jews in the Second World War. Then during the time they suffered the most, there were also people fighting to free them (allies); there was a significant amount of people that did not agree with what was happening to Jews and they were willing to fight for that, too.

Blacks did suffer in the past, but they also did come out stronger; by law they do now have the same rights, there is still racism in this world but their position in our society already made and continues to make positive changes. Also, it is acknowledged in nowadays teaching that our ways of treating blacks in the past were backwards. And blacks too had, even though it took a while, people fighting for them / by their side.

Whereas Native Americans as an ethnicity do not have their own country, yes they do have reservations but the living standards there are comparable to a Third World Country. They do not have a National day, let alone an International day, whereon people stand still by their suffering. Their history and what happened to them, is not taught very well in schools here in Europe; their suffering is not as recognized or well-known around the world (not only through education, but also think of books/films that depict their suffers etc.). They never had any (significant) allies outside their own race. Their position in the world has made little to no positive changes and it does not look like things will turn around for them any soon.

In general I feel their horrible past is less acknowledged and that there is less done to make up to the unjustified treatment they got. Also their hurt and suffering dragging on in today’s life seems to be more present than in the other two groups. That is why I chose Native Americans.

Mytigodess · Accepted Answer

I would put it in the context of how long, is it still going on, and the ramifications thereof. As this is a question of throughout history, I am speaking on a global/historical sense.

I wouldn't put Jews as from the beginning of time as most of the history of the big three books [quran, bible, and torah] tell the account of Moses which even Jewish scholars admit didn't happen. The Jews as a nation/religion was developed long after many other religions. The holocaust [approx. 5 million, Spanish Inquisition tens of thousands, and hate crimes which are too numerous to mention]. They lost lives, property, denied citizenship, and in some countries are readily attacked. However, considering what the nation of Israel is doing now to the Palestinians, means no lesson was learned on how they were treated. It doesn't mean they aren't still having it rough.

Native Americans have had their land invaded and taken over. They were purposely given diseases. They were readily marginalized as subhuman, all treaties made were thrown away, they were given the worst areas of land in the US where there is a lack of commerce and opportunity forcing them to choose between their culture and assimilation. They lost most of their population. They were slaves and considered more disposable because they were not as "strong" as African slaves. So many are thought to have it pretty good because the government gave them land and allowed casinos, but they don't truly own the land and not all of them profit from it. There is no real count of how many were killed or slaughtered by European settlers because they mattered so little they never really counted the population. And we don't know what happened before those settlers who took over came in.

Africans in all parts of the world are always in jeopardy. Unlike Jews, they cannot hide the fact they are black. They are given equal rights [even if they are ignored] in most of the Western world. They are still being treated as unequal citizens. For the history of oppression, more is known than the Native population because it has been recorded and there are more blacks than Native. There are a lot of terrible civil wars in Africa. AIDS and other diseases are ignored leading to death, etc.

Black people have it worse.

FifthElement · Accepted Answer

All three had it pretty bad, but get this: there are African Americans all over, some are awful but a lot have pulled away from the negative stereotypes and lived respectable lives. The Jewish people have been persecuted since before Time, but sometimes its hard to tell if someone is Jewish unless you ask them, because ANYONE could be Jewish.

Native Americans: when is the last time you've seen a full blood Native American...with at least half of their name a bonafide tribal name(excluding celebrities)? I live in CA and I have YET to meet a full blooded Native American.

They had it the worst IMHO. This is their home country and its been reduced to sh*tty reservations. Almost everyone else is technically an immigrant(or a descendant of one) and have a home country they can go back to.

WoodWizzard87 · Accepted Answer

Jews have gotten such a bad rap, because supposedly they persecuted a man said he was the son of god. Would anyone believe a guy today who stood up and claimed himself as the son of god. Pretty sure the catholic pope would bash him, even if he could walk on water.

The blacks were sold to the white people by their own tribes and rounded up for cash and jewelry. So the blame there is half and half each race. The way we treated them during slavery was terrible, but slavery has been going on for many thousands of years. The fact that many blacks still play the race card and expect free money from the government is just absurd. Many people in the ghetto still blame their problems on racism rather than working hard, and blame the whites for slavery, yet that ended 150 years ago.

Native Americans/Indians, were nomadic groups of people that "lived off the land", and traveled around. It's been verified that Indians traveled across the Bering strait, from china to north America and followed the animal herds around. The Indians were a race of people who worshipped old values and didn't really progress forward with technology ever. They could go thousands of years without actually learning anything new. Next the white men come in and barter and trade weapons and guns. Mind you, the warring Indian factions were killing each other long before we came along. Next, we decided to barter for land and start to build railroads, and they decide we are bad and attack the whites. The whites force the Indians back to protect their own, yet there is still masskillinga, rapes, and tortures on both sides. The whites win the "battle", but the Indians sulk and we decide because their here first, they can save some land, and allow them to be the only ones to create casinos, where white people blow their money.

In any other setting the winning faction would assimilate the weaker species and they would coexist, instead we segregated them causing more harm on reservations.

TheMasculinist · Accepted Answer

Thats a tough call because Native Americans are practically an endangered species now, because their race has been hunted to near extinction. Blacks had it bad, but when compared to the Jews...shoot...Jews had it much worse. Blacks were enslaved for a couple hundred years by Europeans...but...Jews--they were enslaved by Egyptians for THOUSANDS of years, they were eunicized (had their whole penis cut off) and circumcised (had the most sensitive part of the penis cut off), because Egyptians thought they were Gods and they didn't want their slaves experiencing sex the same way. Then they were hunted by German Catholics because Hitler argued that Jews had killed their God, and put Jesus on a cross and tortured him to death...so by the millions Jews were killed by Christians and Catholics throughout Europe. They are still do this day being treated negatively by people who are of Christian religions...see Mel Gibson and his large group of followers that bought that Jesus being beaten for two hours movie, "The Passion of Christ." So Id say...yeah...Jews had it the worst.

fascination_streak · Answer

My opinion is that we shouldn't be sitting here asking who had it the worst. What we should be focusing on is how this kind of crap keeps happening in the world.  There's so much abhorrence, judging, killing, fighting. You would think that we would learn lessons from the past, and formulate ways to prevent them in the future.  To me, I have been sickened by what settlers did to Native Americans, stripped them of their identities, their land and killed their people. Peacefully coexisting was just not in order. Then, we have the issues of slavery and segregation for the blacks. They were treated like second class citizens, deemed inferior because of their skin color, made to do manual labor with no pay etc. Once again, we learned nothing from what happened with the Native Americans. Moving along to the Jews, persecuted by a monster who was a Jew himself and wanted an ideal race & Aryan nation. They were shoved like cattle into train cars, their valuables taken and then sent to work camps where they were gassed to death, randomly shot on site for 'practice,' branded with numbers/codes like livestock.  All for what? Because, of their heritage, their physical appearances?  We had two opportunities to learn from and we didn't.  When in the hell are people going to wake up and look at the bigger picture here?

sbailey · Answer

No one should ever experience what happened to either group.
Many Jews were killed off during the reign of Adolf Hitler, during world war two. However, history has always acknowledge the severity of what took place with Jewish People. However, I do not feel that there has been enough emphasize on the other two groups.
We honor individuals like Christopher Columbus, who was far worse. The Native Americans welcomed the European people when they entered America. In returned many were killed off, placed on reservations and had their country stolen from them.
African Americans were kidnapped and forced into slavery. They were stripped of their identity, language and religion. Women and girls were frequently raped and forced to produce several babies, to make more slaves. Babies were skinned alive and used for alligator bate. Men were constantly lynched, family were constantly separated. This went on for close to 400 years. After slavery ended, there was segregation and many inequalities. Many African Americans continue to be persecuted, as men are continuously shot by police.

AndyWes · Answer

Jews. Look back--Indians only got it bad once Europeans showed up, except for the fact they were killing each other in wars and what not already.

Blacks, tons of stuff to each other. Look at the African warlords and dictators, all black. The whole slavery to America thing, was largely blacks selling each other for money, and even that didn't start until a few hundred years ago.

Jews, they've been getting slaughtered and fought and carried off by tons of groups over the last couple of thousand years. Definitely had it worse. Then look at the Holocaust.

goflipaburger · Answer

Natives around the world have had it tough, especially in the Americas. Its estimated that around 3 million were murdered by weapon and another 2 million were killed by disease.

80-90% of most native populations have been wiped out.

In Hawaii, where it used to be an island of ALL natives, they now only make up around 2% of the population.

In total, scholars conclude that around 5 to 12 million natives were killed throughout the Americas due to invasion and genocide. Due to inability to identify the exact population prior to European invasions, the number could range from 10 million deaths to 100 million deaths including disease, starvation, exhaustion, etc. This is not counting the amount of suicides.

MadameGrimaldi · Answer

The Jews have. The Jews were persecuted for THOUSANDS of years. From the ancient Egyptians all the way to the Nazis, and they are still having issues with the countries that boarder Israel.

I think because I had read in the bible and other religious books it says, "The Jews are the chosen people of God."

joshuadwa · Answer

I would say jews. Beyond the death camps in nazi germany, jews were slaves in egypt several generations longer than blacks were slaves in America. Like native Americans, jews were taken out of their lands but jews were forced into slavery instead of just being removed from their land. A few people here are argueing that jews don't have it because they have their own country. They are surrounded by countries that don't aknowledgetheir existance and hate them... kill their people and launch rockets into their country (hazbala [not sure on spelling])

They are forced 2 years mandatory military service upon competion of school becasue SO many people want to wipe them off the map they have to have a strong military force

I would say jews had it the worst then native Americans then blacks

Brando · Answer

Humankind has had it the worst. This is a subject that, just like many other topics, is rife with bias, subjectivity, and a huge variety of perspectives. Blacks, Jews, Native Americans, Asians, Whites, etc. have all been subject to imprisonment, slavery, abuse, torture, death, and anything else that has ever been thought of.

But of course that's not the socially acceptable answer to say we all have gone through some kind of hardship (as a society, race, species, etc.) so my answer is probably irrelevant in this :)

Whistling_Dixie · Answer

I must vote for Native American.   They used to roam the continent called America and now they are in an extreme minority.  Not only they have no say in the naming of their continent of origin (the name 'America came from and Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci), their 'ethnicity doesn't even have a proper name (In pre-politically-correct world, they were called Indian because Colombus mistaken their land for India and thought of them as Indian).

missxbrightside · Answer

Jews definitely. you literally cannot even make up a reason to say that they deserved what they got.

native Americans didn't deserve it either, but they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and just happened to be the people the English wanted to boot out.

blacks also didn't have anything to do with what happened to them, and although they were forced into slavery, they weren't gassed in chambers and made to die :/

Anonymous · Answer

i mean that doesn't make sense. if most of them are dead...thats horrible and atrocious but they would have been dead, and therefore not susceptible to the kinds of cruel treatment that blacks had to live through for centuries.

being dead > being beaten, raped, lynched, and repeat for hundreds of years and then some more even after you're declared officially a person lol

however if theyre all dead...then theyre...dead. that's still horrible though.

so I guess it depends on how you measure "bad" to define what is "worse". if killing of the population is your gauge, then clearly the natives. if constant treatment as objects and constant degradation within society is your gauge, then blacks.

either way, both groups have suffered tremendously and I don't really compare them.

mormollio · Answer

I'm black and I say Jews. There was more than Hitler. They were prosecuted for having money, when the Catholics wouldn't allow people to take out loans. They were prosecuted for choosing to worship their god rather than submit to rulers. They got it tough just because they stuck to their beliefs and stayed together.

Yah, the Native Americans had it hard and they got screwed over, but that was for a few hundred years. Compare that to the Jews thousands of years ago to the present.

bapify2 · Answer

Lol, I just finished writing a 4 page paper on this. Native Americans got it the worst. They lost their culture, their people, their language, their land. The genocide of their people far surpassed the pain suffered by the other two races you mentioned.

brunettebelle · Answer

A very good question and you have pointed out a good point. Also I may add that in some areas a whole native tribe is extinct due to bringing small pox. I realize that many Americans though do have a little bit of Native American in them though.

Though today I would say blacks, I still see a lot of racism and conflicts towards them, though they are not extinct but there are still harsh and made up feelings towards them.

Ugliness · Answer

Blacks. Just like one fake "inspirational" poster stated. It had a picture of Geordi LaForge (LaFarge?) whatever from Star Trek TNG. It said, "In the future they can cure blindness, but you'll still always be black."

Same with "Native" Americans I suppose but Jews can always change or hide their religion.

WoIIie · Answer

Jews then Native Americans then Blacks. Asians have had some rough times as well.

Anonymous · Answer

Natives. They've been nearly wiped out. They've had their homeland stolen, watched their loved ones get massacred, and suffered diseases unseen to their people (due to transmission from Europe, etc).

Jews had it rough, I agree, but the genocide they experienced was nothing unlike the proportions that affected the Native Americans. Numbers may be higher for them but the percentage of Native Americans remaining is another thing altogether.

jessebarrettmills · Answer

it's rather unfortunate that the jews always try to present themselves as the victims. it's an insult to the persecution of the blacks, and natives to include the jews in the same category. jews aren't the victims, theyre the agresors. if a jew, and a black guy comits the same crime, the jew will get special treatment. the black guy is going to jail. I've seen it 100 times. jews overwhelmingly occupy positions of power, judges, politicians, media, banking, it's all them. even if germany, and the Arab world, jews occupied some of the best positions. and probably seized those positions through deception. that's why people hated them. white Europeans hate blacks and natives for no reason at all. blacks, and native pose no threat to anyone. I can't say the same about the jews.

prettymuscle · Answer

All you people are crazy for thinking the jewels had it worst, the jewels did not have a continent like the native Americans, the native Americans had it worst because that's a whole continent killed

westman74 · Answer

90% of native Americans are gone due to small pox and genocide... No land and a stolen culture... At least people admit to what happend in the other cases.

xTeacup · Answer

None of the above.. I'd say women.. because they were degraded for a longer period of time, and they could have been in any one of those.^

kkkkatie126 · Answer

I'd say the jews since a lot of people enslaved them but then again they did steal Palestine to rename it Israel so some of them might of deserved what they got. Indians also had awful things done to them like the Trail of Tears. Blacks had the easiest treatment in history they didn't get what the jews or indians got.

Anonymous · Answer

Jews without a doubt. From Egyptian persecution to Palestinian occupation of Israel to the holocaust, etc. Then I'd say Native Americans and then blacks.

Alpha_1 · Answer

I'd say Native Americans and Blacks.  The Hollocaust is not THE worst event in history, it's just that the media makes it out to be.

Honeybaby · Answer

Definitely the Native Americans (it's sad and America was there home) :(

SkinnyG · Answer

Native Americans. They still seem to be struggling.

Anonymous · Answer

im neither of those and have studied history, so here's my unbiased opinion: I really think jews have had a rough time throughout history. they deserve israel and people should leave them alone.

peacenic · Answer

i gonna go with Native Americans  because they still getting a bad deal ?

Anonymous · Answer

Native Americans because even though jewish people were killed by the millions, they're still around. while the native Americans are few

lolli · Answer

Idk... funny thing is I am all of those things. I think you shoulda done a poll.

kev7594 · Answer

I'm half Native American (Osage) and almost all of my extended family from past generations were murdered and I know very little about my culture. It sucks but I don't hold it against anyone.

Jager66 · Answer

history is so vast I just don't think its possible to decide.

Anonymous · Answer

Mexicans. They are getting slaughtered in Mexico as we speak.

stormbreaker06 · Answer

so called blacks are the true Jews. the ones that call themselves jewish are the khazars

decentusername · Answer

the jews, I reckon.

Anonymous · Answer

Oh the jews hands down

DeanWillis · Answer

Lol. JewS. No contest.

Anonymous · Answer

The Irish suffered a history of oppression too...

CasaNorba · Answer

this is a really tuff one!

TigerBaby · Answer

I could never pick

QuietRunner · Answer

the Jews throughout history

Jews vs. Native Americans vs. Blacks - Who got it the worst throughout history?

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