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U.S. Policy and the Holocaust Refugee Crisis

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Weighing the Evidence

Should the United States be a refuge for people fleeing their homes in times of war?

This question took a prominent place in the national conversation during the period between the two World Wars. Immigration restrictions had been in place since the 1920s which severely limited immigrants, especially from Southern and Eastern Europe. As the Nazis rose to power in Germany and threatened nearby countries, many Europeans – primarily Jewish Europeans – began seeking to leave and emigrate to America.

Some people argued that as a world superpower, we had a responsibility to open the door to refugees. Others argued that with the United States emerging from the Great Depression, we needed to focus on our own problems and not get involved in a conflict thousands of miles away.

Look at each primary source below and read its descriptions (“open in new window” icon). Place it on the scale according to which conclusion (at the ends of the scale) it supports. Note that items you place at the ends of the scale are “heavier,” or stronger evidence.

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View the full activity: https://docsteach.org/activity/u-s-policy-and-the-holocaust-refugee-crisis/

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