USImmigrationPolicyand
Attitudestowards
RefugeesduringWorld
WarIIandToday
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IMMIGRANT
Whatcomestomindwhenyouconsiderthisword?
Immigration
Animmigrant issomeonewhochoosestoresettletoanother
country.
Immigrantsaremotivatedbymanythings,sometimescalled
pushes (factorsdrivingpeopleout)andpulls (attractionsofthe
newcountry),including:
§ bettereconomicopportunities,
§ politicalforces/issues,
§ re-unitingwithfamilymembers,
§ escapingconflict,warsornaturaldisasters.
REFUGEE
Whatcomestomindwhenyouconsiderthis
word?
Refugee
Arefugee issomeonewhohasbeen
forcedtofleehisorherhomecountry.
Refugeesaregenerallyunableor
unwillingtoreturnhomebecausethey
fearseriousharm.
Refugeescanapplyforasyluminthe
UnitedStates,butgettingrefugeestatus
isn’teasyandtheprocesscantakeyears.
Applicantshavetoprovethatifthey
returntotheirhomecountry,they'llbe
injuredbecauseoftheirrace,religion,
nationality,membershipinaparticular
socialgrouportheirpoliticalopinion.
Karlsruhe,
Germany
6
Kristallnacht(NightofBroken
Glass)
ØKristallnachtmarksthefirstinstanceinwhichtheNaziregimeincarcerated
Jewsonamassivescalesimplyonthebasisoftheirethnicity.Hundreds
diedinthecampsasaresultofthebrutaltreatmenttheyendured.
ØMostdidobtainreleaseoverthenextthreemonths(suchasHal’sfather)
ontheconditionthattheybegintheprocessofemigrationfromGermany.
ØIntheweeksthatfollowedKristallnacht,theGermangovernmentpassed
dozensoflawsanddecreesdeprivingJewsoftheirpropertyandmeansof
livelihood.Forexample:
§ Jewish-ownedproperty&businesseshadtobetransferredto“Aryan”
ownership,usuallyforafractionoftheirtruevalue.
§ Jewscouldnolongerwork.
§ GermaneducationofficialsexpelledJewishchildrenstillattendingGerman
schools.
§ Jewscouldnotdrive,ownanautomobile,orusepublictransportation.
§ Jewscouldnotgototheaters,moviecinemas,orconcerthalls.
Kristallnacht– AFrightening
TurningPoint
qTheeventsofKristallnachtrepresentedamajorescalationinantisemitic
policy.Moreover,thepassivitywithwhichmostGermanciviliansresponded
totheviolencesignaledtotheNaziregimethattheycoulddothis.
qTheNaziregimeexpandedandradicalizedmeasuresaimedatremoving
JewsentirelyfromGermaneconomicandsociallifeoverthefollowing
years.
qTheregimemovedeventuallytowardpoliciesofforcedemigration,and
finallytowardtherealizationofaGermany“freeofJews”(judenrein)by
deportationoftheJewishpopulation“totheEast.”
qThesepoliciesarewhatledHalandhisfamilytobeforcedfromtheir
homein1940.
qThus,Kristallnacht isanessentialturningpointinNaziGermany's
persecutionofJews,leadingtotheirattempttoannihilatetheJewish
populationentirely.
Whydidn’tHal,his
family,&otherJews
leaveGermany?
AmericanPolicybeforeWorldWarII
vAfterHitlerrosetopowerinGermanyin1933,GermanJewsbegantobe
strippedoftheircivilrights,excludedfrompubliclife,andtargetedby
government-encouragedviolence.
vManyGermanJewshopedto immigrate totheUnitedStatesatthistime,but
USStateDepartmentpoliciesmadeitverydifficulttoobtainentryvisas.
vThiswasduetoa1924lawwhenCongresshadreversedAmerica’straditional
“opendoors”policyandimposedstrictquotas tolimitimmigration.
vAdditionally,afterthestockmarketcrashof1929,risingunemployment
causedanti-immigrationsentimenttogrow,andPresidentHerbertHoover
orderedvigorousenforcementofvisaregulations.In1932theUnitedStates
hadissuedonly35,576immigrationvisasintotal.
vDuetosuchquotas,nomorethan25,957
GermancitizenscouldentertheUnitedStates
eachyear—atinynumbercomparedtothe
hundredsofthousandswhowantedtoescape
Hitlerbeginningin1933.
TheU.S.Government’sResponse
vDespitetheongoing(andworsening)persecutionofJewsinGermany,theUS
StateDepartmentofficialscontinuedtheirrestrictiveimmigrationmeasures,
evenafterFranklinD.Roosevelt’sinaugurationinMarch1933.
vInfact,beginningin1940,theUnitedStatesfurtherlimitedimmigrationby
orderingAmericanconsulsabroadtodelayvisaapprovalsonnationalsecurity
grounds.
WHY?
vTheStateDepartment'sattitudewasinfluencedbytheeconomichardshipsof
theGreatDepression.SomeAmericanssincerelybelievedthatthecountry
lackedtheresourcestoaccommodateimmigrants.
vTheconditionsduringtheGreatDepressionhadalso
intensifiednativism,anti-Semitism,isolationism,and
xenophobia.Americansfearedlosingjobsandsharing
resourceswiththosedeemed“outsiders.”
Vocabulary
• Anti-Semitism – discrimination,prejudiceorhostility
towardJews
• Xenophobia - anunreasonablefearorhatredofforeigners
orstrangersorofthatwhichisforeignorstrange.
• Nativism - thepolicyofprotectingtheinterestsand
demandingfavoredstatusofestablishedinhabitantsofa
nationagainstthoseofnewcomers/immigrants;nativism
typicallymeansoppositiontoimmigration
• Isolationism- thepolicyof
isolatingone'scountryfromthe
affairsofothernationsinorder
tofurtheryourowncountry’s
advancement,aswellasavoid
foreignconflictsand
responsibilities
RobertR.Reynolds
Dr.FrankPorterGraham
ADebateOverRescue:
NorthCarolina&theHolocaust
RobertR.Reynolds
Dr.FrankPorterGraham
ThousandsofinnocentJewsaresufferingat
thehandsofHitlerandtheNazis.What,if
anything,shouldtheAmericangovernmentdo
toassistthosetryingtoescape?
GermanAustrianQuota
vAmericanJewishleaders
organizedaboycottofGerman
goods,hopingthateconomic
pressuremightforceHitlerto
endhisanti-Semiticpolicies.
vProminentAmericanJews
intercededwiththeRoosevelt
administrationontherefugees’
behalf.
vInresponse,theRoosevelt
administrationagreedtoease
visaregulations,andin1939
(aftertheNaziannexationof
Austria),StateDepartment
officialsissuedallthevisas
availableunderthecombined
German-Austrianquota 27,370people.
Poster(issuedbytheJewishWarVeteransoftheUnited
States)callingforaboycottofGermangoods,1937&1939
RefugeDenied:TheSt.Louis,1939
vInahighlypublicizedeventinMay–June1939,theUS
refusedtoadmitover900Jewishrefugeeswhohad
sailedfromHamburg,Germany,ontheSt.Louis.
vTheSt.Louis appearedoffthecoastofFloridashortly
afterCubanauthoritiescancelledtherefugees'transit
visasanddeniedentrytomostofthepassengers,who
werestillwaitingtoreceivevisastoentertheUnited
States.
vDeniedpermissiontolandintheUnitedStates,theship
wasforcedtoreturntoEurope.
vGreatBritain,France,theNetherlands,andBelgium
eachagreedtoacceptsomeofthepassengersas
refugees.
ChildrenontheSSSt.
Louis,1939
vHowever,ofthepassengerswhoreturnedtoEurope,
254areknowntohavediedintheHolocaust.
Examinetheprimarysource
providedanddiscuss:
1.Whatdoyoufirstnoticeaboutthis
document?Whatstandsouttoyou?
2.Whatinformationdoesthisdocument
contain?
3.Whatdoyouthinkthepurposeofthis
documentwas?(Whatwasitusedfor?
Wheremightyouhavefoundit/seenit?
Andwhy?)
4.Whatquestionsdoyouhaveabout
thisdocument?
TheBergsonGroup&theEmergency
CommitteetoSavetheJewishPeopleof
Europe
vInAugust1942,theU.S.StateDepartmentreceivedareportsentbythe
Geneva-basedrepresentativeoftheWorldJewishCongress(WJC).Thereport
revealedthattheGermanswereimplementingapolicytomurderallJewsin
Europe(genocide.)ThiswasHitler’s“FinalSolution.”
vWiththegovernmentstillnotacting,activistPeterBergsonandThe
EmergencyCommitteetoSavetheJewishPeopleofEurope,intensifiedtheir
effortsthroughralliesandnewspaperadvertisementstopublicizetheHolocaust
andforcetheUSgovernmenttorescueEuropeanJewry.
vBergsonhostedaconferenceinNewYorkCityinJuly1943,bringingtogether
dozensofdiplomaticandmilitaryexpertstopublicizespecific,concretewaysto
aidEuropeanJewry.
PressureonRooseveltTheBergsonGroup&theEmergency
CommitteetoSavetheJewishPeopleof
Europe
vTheBergsongroup'sadvertisements,
withheadlinessuchas "Action--Not
Pity--CanSaveMillionsNow"and
"HowWellAreYouSleeping?IsThere
SomethingYouCouldHaveDoneto
SaveMillionsofInnocentPeoplefrom
TortureandDeath?”,appearedin
newspapersfromcoasttocoast.
vAdramaticmarchonWashingtonwas
heldby400Orthodoxrabbis&the
Bergsongroupbeganafull-scale
lobbyingeffortonCapitolHillurging
thecreationofaU.S.government
agencytorescueJewishrefugees.
EstablishmentofWarRefugee
Board(WRB)
vFinally,underpublicpressureaswellaspressurefromTreasurySecretary
HenryMorgenthau,PresidentRooseveltissuedanexecutiveorderonJan.
22,1944thatestablishedtheWarRefugeeBoard(WRB).
vThiswasthefirstconcretesteptheU.S.hadtakentohelptheJewswho
werebeingkilledinGermany's"FinalSolution,”whichhadbeganmorethan
17monthsbefore.
vWiththeassistanceoftheAmericanJewishJointDistributionCommittee
andtheWorldJewishCongress,aswellasresistanceorganizations in
German-occupiedEurope,theWRBhelpedtorescueasmanyas200,000
Jews.
vEvenstill,theBoardsufferedunderinadequatefundingandlackof
cooperationfromothergovernmentagencies,andmanyfeltit’sgreatest
failurewasbeingsetuptoolate.
vBythetimetheWRBwasestablished,four-fifthsoftheJewswhowouldbe
killedintheHolocaustwerealreadydead.
FortOntarioEmergencyRefugee
Shelter ("SafeHaven”)
vThroughoutWWIItheUSAestablishedonlyone refugeecenterinupstate
NewYork(nearOswego)whichhousedlessthan1,000refugees.
vInAugust1944,theshelterreceived982refugeesofpredominantlyJewish
descentandofvariousnationalbackgrounds.
vTherewerespecialcriteriaforselectingthefewwhoweretobegranted
“safehaven.”Theyweretoberefugeesforwhomnootherhavenswere
available.Rooseveltalsostatedthatthegroupshouldincludemostlywomen
andchildren.
vAbigconcernwiththeestablishmentofthecampwastheissueof
immigration.PresidentRooseveltmadeitveryclearthattherefugeeswould
notbeconsideredcitizens;theywouldhavenovisastatus.
vPresidentRooseveltalsoassuredCongressthattheArmywouldnotpermit
anyrefugeeescapes.Thus,thecampwassurroundedbya6-footchainfence.
TheAftermathoftheHolocaust
vIn1945,whenAlliedtroopsenteredthe
concentrationcamps,theydiscoveredpilesof
corpses,bones,andhumanashes—testimony
toNazimassmurder.
vThethousandsofsurvivors—JewsandnonJews—sufferedfromstarvation,exhaustion,
disease,andposttraumaticstress.
vForsurvivors,theprospectofrebuildingtheir
liveswasdaunting.
vThehomes&possessionsofsurvivorshad
beenlooted,stolen,anddestroyed.Theywere
separatedfromfamilyandfriends,withagreat
numberofthemdead.
vManyJewishsurvivorsstillfacedantiSemitism,whichpersistedinpartsofEurope.
(InpostwarPoland,forexample,therewerea
numberofpogroms - violentanti-Jewishriots).
Soonafterliberation,surviving
childrenoftheAuschwitzcampwalk
outofthechildren'sbarracks.Poland,
afterJanuary27,1945.(USSHMM)
TheAftermathoftheHolocaust
vAfterthewar,hundredsofthousandsofsurvivorsfoundshelteras
displacedpersons(DPs)incampsadministeredbytheUnitedNationsRelief
andRehabilitationAdministration andtheoccupyingarmiesoftheUnited
States,GreatBritain,andFrance.
vAconsiderablenumberandvarietyofJewishagenciesworkedtoassistthe
Jewishdisplacedpersons.TheAmericanJewishJointDistribution
Committee providedHolocaustsurvivorswithfoodandclothing,whilethe
OrganizationforRehabilitationthroughTrainingofferedvocationaltraining.
vThelargestsurvivororganization,Sh'erit ha-Pletah (Hebrewfor"surviving
remnant"),pressedforgreateremigrationopportunities.
vYetopportunitiesforlegalimmigrationtotheUnitedStatesabovethe
existingquotarestrictionswerestilllimited.ManybordersinEuropewere
alsoclosedtothesehomelesspeople.
Post-WarImmigration
vPresidentHarryS.TrumanfavoredaliberalimmigrationpolicytowardDPs.
vFacedwithcongressionalinaction,PresidentHarryTrumanissueda
directiveinDec.1945thatloosenedquotarestrictionsonimmigrationtothe
USofpersonsdisplacedbytheNaziregime.
vUnderthisdirective,morethan41,000displacedpersonsimmigratedtothe
UnitedStates.Approximately28,000wereJews.
vIn1948,theUSCongresspassedtheDisplaced
PersonsAct.Theactprovidedapproximately
400,000USimmigrationvisasfordisplacedpersons
betweenJanuary1,1949,andDecember31,1952.
vOfthe400,000displacedpersonswhoentered
theUSundertheDPAct,approximately68,000
wereJews.
PostWarImmigration
vTheentryrequirementsfavoredagricultural
laborerstosuchanextentthatPresident
Trumancalledthelaw"flagrantly
discriminatoryagainstJews."
vCongressamendedthelawin1950,butby
thattimemostoftheJewishDPsinEuropehad
gonetothenewlyestablishedStateofIsrael
(foundedonMay14,1948).
vBy1952,137,450Jewishrefugees (including
closeto100,000DPs)hadsettledintheUnited
States.
vTheamended1948lawwasaturningpointin
Americanimmigrationpolicyandestablisheda
precedentforlaterrefugeecrises.
JewishrefugeechildrenwaveattheStatueofLiberty,
1939
UNSubgroupsforRefugees
UNCHR
UnitedNationsHighCommissionerfor
Refugees
Founded1950todealwithrefugees
afterWWII.
Helpsrefugees,IDPs,&stateless
people’sorpeoplewholackcitizenship.
Helprunrefugeecamps,provide
servicesforrefugees,etc.
Tryingtomoveawayfromusingrefugee
campstomore“durablesolutions:”
repatriation,localintegration,or
resettlementoverseas.
UNICEF
UnitedNation’sChildren’sFund
Foundedin1946tohelpmillionsof
childrenfacinghunger&diseaseafter
WWII.
TheyassistrefugeesaswellasIDP’s
duetonaturaldisasters,epidemics,
etc.
Today,theyhelpchildrenbyproviding
healthprograms,education,water,
sanitation,&hygiene.
27
WorldwideDisplacementHitsAllTime
HighasWar&PersecutionIncrease
vWars,conflictandpersecutionhaveforcedmorepeoplethanatany
othertime(sincerecordsbegan)tofleetheirhomesandseekrefuge
andsafetyelsewhere,accordingtoaJune,2015reportfromtheUN
refugeeagency.
vUNHCR'sannualGlobalTrendsReport:WorldatWarsaidthenumber
ofpeopleforciblydisplacedattheendof2014hadrisentoastaggering
59.5million
vGlobally,oneinevery122
humansisnoweitherarefugee,
internallydisplaced,orseeking
asylum.
vMostalarmingly,itshowedthat
overhalftheworld'srefugees
children.
are
WorldwideDisplacementHitsAllTime
HighasWar&PersecutionIncrease
ØInthepastfiveyears,atleast15conflictshaveeruptedorreignited,
contributingtotheriseofrefugees:
§ 8inAfrica(Côted'Ivoire,CentralAfricanRepublic,Libya,Mali,northeastern
Nigeria,DemocraticRepublicofCongo,SouthSudanandthisyearinBurundi);
§ 3intheMiddleEast(Syria,Iraq,andYemen);
§ 1 inEurope(Ukraine)andthreeinAsia(Kyrgyzstan,andinseveralareasof
MyanmarandPakistan).
Ø Additionally,decades-old
instabilityandconflictin
Afghanistan,Somaliaand
elsewheremeansthatmillionsof
peopleremainonthemoveor
strandedforyearsaslong-term
internallydisplacedorrefugees.
WorldwideDisplacementHitsAllTime
HighasWar&PersecutionIncrease
ØSinceearly2011,themainreason
fortheaccelerationhasbeenthe
warinSyria,nowtheworld'ssinglelargestdriverofdisplacement.
ØOneofthemostvisible
consequencesoftheworld's
conflictsandthesufferingthey
causehasbeenillustratedinthe
numbersofrefugeesseekingsafety
throughdangerousseajourneys(on
theMediterranean,intheGulfof
AdenandRedSea,andinSoutheast
Asia.)
TheVettingProcessforRefugees
1.Refugeesarescreenedbyseveraldifferentagencies.
◦ IftheUNHCRrefersrefugeestotheUS,theyarevettedbytheNational
CounterterrorismCenter,theFBI'sTerroristScreeningCenter,andthe
DepartmentsofState,DefenseandHomelandSecurity.
◦ Fingerprintsaretaken,biographicalinformationiscollected.Theyarethen
eachindividuallyinterviewedbyU.S.officialstrainedtoverifythatthey're
bonafiderefugees.
◦ RefugeesfromSyriaarethensubjecttoadditionalscreeningthatlooksat
wheretheycamefromandwhatcausedthemtofleetheirhome,stories
thatarecheckedout.Allofthisoccursbeforearefugeeisallowedtoset
footinthecountry.
2. It'salengthyprocess.
◦ Onaverage,officialssayit's18to24monthsbeforearefugeeisapproved
foradmissiontotheU.S.
◦ TheU.S.hasadmittedsome1,800Syrianrefugeesinthepasttwoyears,
andPresidentObamawantstoallow10,000more.
◦ Theadministrationsayshalfofthosewhohavebeenadmittedare
childrenandaboutaquarterofthemareadultsover60.
◦ Officialssay2percentaresinglemalesofcombatage.
31
RefugeesinNorthCarolina
NumberofrefugeessettlingNC:
§2012:162 - .55%ofUStotalof
29,184
§2013:2,337 – 3%ofUStotalof
69,926
§2014: 2,443 - 3.5%ofUStotalof
69,968
NorthCarolinais12th in#ofrefugees
settledhere.
Top5CountriesofOrigin:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Burma(806)
Bhutan(354)
Iraq(343)
Somalia(275)
DemocraticRepublicofCongo(201)
Source:OfficeofRefugeeResettlement
32
WritetobeHeard!
BRAINSTORM:
§Whatcanandshouldbedoneto
help?
§Whoyouthinkcouldhelpmakea
differenceinthissituationinsome
way?
§Considerhowyouwillbepersuasive
withyourwords.
◦ Whyshouldsomeonecare/help?
◦ Whatevidencecanyounote
regardingthesituationofrefugees?
◦ Howmightyoucitelessons
supposedlylearnedfromthepast
(i.e.,theHolocaust)tohelpspur
actiontoday?
FINALLETTERSSHOULD:
§Bewritteninpersuasivelanguagewith
anintroduction,detailsandinspiring
conclusion
§Benolongerthanapage
§Bewrittenasaformalletter,usingan
appropriatelayout
§Showknowledgeoftherefugeecrisis
andciteevidencethatbacksupany
pointsraisedintheletter
§Shareaclearopiniononthecurrent
crisisanddescribearealistic
suggestion(s)formakingapositive
difference
Sources
§http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/american-response-to-theholocaust
§http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007094#seealso
§http://ncpedia.org/refugees-world-war-ii
§http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005462
§http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/holocaust/peopleevents/index.html
§http://ncpedia.org/refugees-world-war-ii
§http://www.wymaninstitute.org/articles/2007-6-bergson1.php
§http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005129
§http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005182