Close search
naf-site-logo.svg

A National Archives Foundation educational resource using primary sources from the National Archives

naf-logo-primary-blk.svg

ATTENTION: Due to routine maintenance, some features of DocsTeach will be unavailable from 9 pm ET on Tuesday, Nov 9 until 8 am ET on Wednesday, Nov 11. Please do not create, edit, or add any activities or primary sources during this time. Students should not submit responses during this time. Any work drafted or submitted during this time may be lost. You will still be able to access saved activities and primary sources. We appreciate your patience.

[printfriendly current='yes']
Print

U.S. Policy and the Holocaust Refugee Crisis

weighing-the-evidence icon
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.

Please Note: Activities may not be optimized on mobile devices. For the best experience, complete the activity on a desktop or laptop.

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

public-domain
To the extent possible under law, National Archives Foundation has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to “U.S. Policy and the Holocaust Refugee Crisis”