Liberalism, Ethnicity and the Origin of American Jews’ Prominence on Tin Pan Alley

Abstract

This article re-examines Jewish prominence in Tin Pan Alley beyond familiar narratives of exclusion and inherited commercial aptitude. It argues that Jewish success reflected a distinctive liberal adaptation to American capitalism. Drawing on interviews, autobiographies, and theories of networked power and ethnic politics, it shows how young, literate, institutionally flexible Jewish immigrants developed agile networks that facilitated integration into emerging cultural industries. Amid tensions between Victorian moralism and liberal modernity, Jewish entrepreneurs and songwriters articulated a cosmopolitan vision of American culture. Their engagement with African American music further strengthened their role as cultural intermediaries and their claim to cultural authority.