AMERICANS AND THE HOLOCAUST TEACHER GUIDE IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL. ushmm.org/americans

Transcription

1 TEACHER GUIDE IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL ushmm.org/americas

2 IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL OVERVIEW Through a examiatio of the Wager-Rogers Bill of 1939, studets cosider how Americas debated the coutry s role as a have for refugees durig the 1930s ad 1940s. They idetify ecoomic, social, ad geopolitical factors that iflueced Americas attitudes about the Uited States role i the world durig the critical years Usig primary-source documets, studets idetify ad evaluate argumets that differet Americas made for ad agaist the acceptace of child refugees i The lesso cocludes with reflectio o questios that this history raises about America s role i the world today. This lesso explores the followig questio: How did Americas iterpret their role whe facig a catastrophic refugee crisis i 1939? HISTORY KEY QUESTIONS EXPLORED 1. From , what iformatio was available to Americas about the Nazi persecutio of Jews ad the plight of Jewish refugees? 2. What evets ad coditios had a impact upo Americas attitudes about the Nazi persecutio of Jews ad America s role i respodig to the refugee crisis? 3. How did Americas respod to the proposed admittace of 20,000 refugee childre ito the Uited States? HISTORY LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Studets uderstad that there were may issues vyig for Americas attetio durig this time, ad will be able to idetify ecoomic, social, ad geopolitical factors that iflueced Americas attitudes toward the refugee crisis of Studets will be able to articulate ad evaluate argumets for ad agaist the Wager-Rogers Bill of 1939, providig facts to support their evaluatio about if ad how the Uited States could have admitted refugees. ELA/MEDIA LITERACY KEY QUESTIONS EXPLORED 1. Whe should a leader take the risk to lead the public, ad whe should oe follow public opiio? What should be the role of public opiio i cosideratios by a leader whe makig a policy decisio? 2. How importat is emotioal cotext i the formatio of public opiio? 3. How did idividuals ad groups play to people s emotios to shape their iterpretatio of policy optios? 4. What is more covicig moral argumets, practical argumets, appeals to emotio, or expediecy? 5. A commo tool of propagadists is to egage the public i us versus them thikig. How ca iterest groups use this techique to ifluece public policy, especially i relatio to immigratio, atioal security, ad war? Cover photo: A ewly freed prisoer of the Buchewald cocetratio camp made this flag ad gave it to Sergeat Doald Hall i US Holocaust Memorial Museum collectio, gift of the family of Doald J. Hall ushmm.org/americas IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL 2

3 PREPARATION Familiarize yourself ahead of time with all backgroud materials, icludig the Historical Overview, Immigratio ad Refugees: A Case Study o the Wager-Rogers Bill, ad accompayig script. No prior studet kowledge is required; however, if studets have backgroud o evets i the Uited States ad Germay from the ed of World War I through the begiig of World War II ( ), that may lead to a richer discussio ad deeper learig. Prit out ad display the timelie accompayig this lesso. [OPTIONAL] A computer ad projector are ecessary for display of the slide deck accompayig this lesso. O the secod day of this lesso, studets will be workig i small groups; so, the classroom should be set up i statios to facilitate small group learig usig shared packets of primary-source documets. Teachers should familiarize themselves with materials i the studet packet, as well as the aswer key for materials i the packets. PROCEDURE Essetial Questios How did Americas iterpret their role whe facig a catastrophic refugee crisis i 1939? 1. What iformatio was available to Americas about Nazi persecutio of Jews? 2. What pressures ad motivatios iflueced domestic debate about the Uited States role i the world ad its resposibility to those fleeig Nazi persecutio? 3. How did Americas respod? What were the mai argumets for ad agaist the Wager-Rogers bill? Durig Class Itroductio 1. I the 1930s, Americas debated how best to support ad protect Jews fleeig persecutio ad violece i Nazi Germay, icludig whether to admit refugees ito the Uited States. Americas have log debated the coutry s role i world affairs. Studets should cosider the pressures ad motivatios that ifluece these debates durig the teacher presetatio that follows. 2. Usig the slide deck titled Immigratio ad Refugees: A Case Study o the Wager-Rogers Bill provide historical cotext for the Europea refugee crisis of 1939 ad the Wager-Rogers Bill. Review the timelie of evets, if time permits. Studet Activity ad Discussio 1. Divide the class ito small groups of three to five studets. Explai that each group will be ivestigatig America opiio ad decisio makig regardig the Wager-Rogers Bill ad US immigratio policy. Wager-Rogers Bill decisio to be discussed: Should the US Cogress ad Presidet allow 20,000 Germa childre ito the Uited States i outside of the existig immigratio quota? 2. I small groups, studets will: Examie primary source documets. Based o teacher preferece, each group may examie oly oe documet ad share with the etire class durig step three of this activity, or oe studet i each group may examie their ow documet ad share withi the group before recoveig as a whole class i step three. Usig the documet aalysis worksheet each group will aswer the followig questios: Who is the author of this opiio, ad who is the author s iteded audiece? What does the author wat the target audiece to thik, feel, or do? Is there a specific actio the author proposes? ushmm.org/americas IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL 3

4 What hopes, fears, ad grievaces preset i society at the time might have iflueced how the target audiece respoded to this documet? Cosider political, social, ad ecoomic coditios. 3. After each group has aalyzed ad discussed their documets, lead the full class i a discussio of the argumets that differet Americas made for ad agaist the Wager-Rogers Bill. Help the studets sythesize their fidigs, cosiderig the various factors that iflueced public opiio durig this time. Draw broader coclusios (ad surface ligerig questios) about Americas ad their resposes to the refugee crisis betwee 1938 ad What questios does this activity raise about America s role i the world? Assessmets Questios for full class discussio: 1. How would you characterize America public opiio regardig refugees from ? 2. What factors iflueced America attitudes ad opiios o these issues? 3. Were there particular argumets that you foud covicig? Why? Was there additioal iformatio you would eed to accurately assess the validity of these argumets? 4. Why do you thik the Wager-Rogers Bill failed? 5. What is the role of iformed public debate about policy decisios i a democracy? 6. What questios does this case study raise about America s role i the world? EXTENSIONS 1. Idepedet research: Studets compare ad cotrast US public opiio ad Cogressioal debate surroudig the Wager-Rogers Bill to that surroudig the Led-Lease Act. What was similar about the two debates? What was differet? Had Americas view of their role i the world chaged over time? If so, how? If ot, why? 2. Media Literacy: Aalyze ad evaluate the laguage used i argumets for ad agaist the bill. How did idividuals ad groups play to people s emotios to shape their iterpretatio of policy optios? How importat is emotioal cotext i the formatio of public opiio, ad what role should this play i public policy decisios? What is more covicig: moral argumets, practical argumets, appeals to emotio, expediecy, etc.? A commo tool of propagadists is to egage the public i us versus them thikig. How did iterest groups use this techique to ifluece public policy, especially i relatio to immigratio, atioal security, ad war? Look for examples of this laguage i argumets for ad agaist immigratio ad military actio today. ushmm.org/americas IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL 4

5 STANDARDS MET AP US History Key Cocept 7.3 Participatio i a series of global coflicts propelled the Uited States ito a positio of iteratioal power while reewig domestic debates over the atio s proper role i the world. II. World War I ad its aftermath itesified ogoig debates about the atio s role i the world ad how best to achieve atioal security ad pursue America iterests. US History State Stadards (Califoria) CA Cotet Stadard: World History, Culture, ad Geography Uderstad the role of appeasemet, o-itervetio (isolatioism), ad the domestic distractios i Europe ad the Uited States prior to the outbreak of World War II Aalyze the Nazi policy of pursuig racial purity, especially agaist the Europea Jews; its trasformatio ito the Fial Solutio; ad the Holocaust that resulted i the murder of six millio Jewish civilias. CA Cotet Stadard: Uited States History ad Geography Cotiuity ad Chage i the Twetieth Cetury: Studets aalyze America s participatio i World War II Discuss the costitutioal issues ad impact of evets o the US home frot, icludig the itermet of Japaese Americas (e.g., Fred Korematsu v. Uited States of America) ad the restrictios o Germa ad Italia residet alies; the respose of the admiistratio to Hitler s atrocities agaist Jews ad other groups; the roles of wome i military productio; ad the roles ad growig political demads of Africa Americas. Commo Core Stadards RL/RI.X.1. Read closely to determie what the text says explicitly ad to make logical ifereces from it; cite specific textual evidece whe writig or speakig to support coclusios draw from the text. RL/RI.X.6. Assess how poit of view or purpose shapes the cotet ad style of a text. RL/RI.X.7. Itegrate ad evaluate cotet preseted i diverse media ad formats, icludig visually ad quatitatively, as well as i words. W.X.2. Write iformative/explaatory texts to examie ad covey complex ideas ad iformatio clearly ad accurately through the effective selectio, orgaizatio, ad aalysis of cotet. SL.X.2. Itegrate ad evaluate iformatio preseted i diverse media ad formats, icludig visually, quatitatively, ad orally. SL.X.5 Make strategic use of digital media ad visual displays of data to express iformatio ad ehace uderstadig of presetatios. C3 Framework Develop questios ad plaig iquiries about America kowledge, uderstadig ad resposes to Nazi persecutio of Jews ad threats to democracy. Apply tools of historical iquiry to evaluate sources ad develop claims usig evidece Commuicate ad critique coclusios. ushmm.org/americas IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL 5

6 IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL Aswer Key Our Coutry, Our Citizes First Extesio of Remarks of Ho. Robert R. Reyolds submitted as Cogressioal Testimoy o Jue 7, 1939 Robert Reyolds successfully ra for the Uited States Seate i 1932 as a Democrat. He supported Roosevelt s New Deal programs ad was a fervet isolatioist, opposig Roosevelt s iteratioal efforts so strogly that the presidet supported Reyolds primary challeger i I 1939, he started a atisemitic ewspaper, the America Vidicator, which ra util I 1944, the Democratic Party supported a differet seatorial cadidate, ad Reyolds retired. The cetral argumet i Seator Reyold s testimoy is a ecoomic oe stregthe the US ecoomy ad provide full employmet for America workers before allowig refugees ito the coutry. I fact, he calls for a complete ba o all ew immigratio to the Uited States. He hammers this poit home repeatedly with statemets like, Why admit thousads upo thousads aually to this coutry who come to usurp the jobs of America citizes? Why ot take care of our ow first? ad Charity ought to begi at home. Reyolds also appeals to a variety of motivatios: Nativism: America should be preserved for Americas Law & Order: Let s empty our prisos of alie crimials ad sed them back to their ative lads Political: Let s deport those alie agitators who are eterally advocatig a chage i our form of govermet Natioal security fears: Save our coutry from destructio by alie-eemy forces which are borig from withi (cotiued) ushmm.org/americas IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL 6

7 IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL Aswer Key Statemet of Fracis Keicut, Presidet of Allied Patriotic Societies, submitted as Cogressioal Testimoy o May 24, 1939 The America Coalitio of Patriotic Societies, oe of a plethora of patriotic ad frateral orgaizatios i the Uited States i the 1920s ad 1930s, was a umbrella orgaizatio icludig the Sos ad Daughters of the America Revolutio, the America Legio Auxiliary, ad the Veteras of Foreig Wars. The orgaizatio s stated purpose was to keep America America ; to advocate restrictio upo immigratio registratio of alies, [ad] deportatio of udesirables ; ad to resist efforts of uassimilated or hypheated groups to use the Govermet of the Uited States for the furtherace of the policy of foreig govermets, states, peoples, or orgaizatios. The group specifically opposed Jewish immigrats, who were see as racially udesirable ad potetial commuists. The cetral argumet of Mr. Keicut s testimoy is that maitaiig a certai level of racial ad ethic homogeeity is essetial to the stability of America political ad social istitutios. Implied i his argumet is that Germa Jewish childre would preset a threat to the alleged racial ad ethic makeup of the Uited States populatio, because they would serve as a wedge to allow i more udesirable refugees, startig with their parets ad family members. Additioal argumets preseted by Keicut iclude: Humaitaria Childre should ot be separated from their parets Ecoomic Withi a short amout of time the childre would be grow ad would compete with their America peers for jobs Ecoomic The bill does ot adequately esure that the childre will ot become public charges Fairess The bill udermies the atioal quota apportiomets laid out i existig law (cotiued) ushmm.org/americas IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL 7

8 IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL Aswer Key Statemet of Howard A. Seitz, Brookly, NY, Assistat Cousel for the Nosectaria Committee, submitted as Cogressioal Testimoy o May 24, 1939 I the wake of ews coverage i the Uited States of the Kristallacht ( Night of Broke Glass ) attacks, child psychologist Mario Keworthy asked Clarece Pickett the director of the America Frieds Service Committee, a Quaker relief agecy, ad a close fried of Eleaor Roosevelt to lead a iterfaith, o-sectaria effort to support legislatio to allow the immigratio of refugee childre from Europe. The No-Sectaria Committee for Germa Refugee Childre, which was officially formed i March 1939, stressed the iterfaith aspect of their orgaizatio i a effort to avoid raisig the ire of xeophobic ad atisemitic oppoets of ay immigratio proposal. The co-chairme of the committee icluded George Cardial Mudelei, the Archbishop of Chicago, New York Goveror Herbert Lehma, ad Frak Graham, the presidet of the Uiversity of North Carolia. Mr. Seitz s testimoy appeals to America values ad symbolism: We are still a great democracy, the leadig expoet of tolerace ad liberty. Beyod that, he focuses primarily o factually refutig argumets preseted by oppoets of the bill, emphasizig that the childre i questio are special emergecy cases as threateed refugees that deserve cosideratio outside of ordiary immigratio quotas. Fairess Would ot alter basic immigratio policy Ecoomic Childre would ot eter the workforce for several years, ad as cosumers they would boost the ecoomy i the meatime (orgaized labor supports this bill) Nativism Rather tha choosig foreig childre over America childre, leadig child-welfare workers support this bill ad believe that sympathy aroused by Germa childre will ope ew chaels of support for work beig doe to help America childre Humaitaria Germa govermet policies are breakig up families, ot the bill; the bill seeks to save childre from families which have already bee devastated ad who are eager to sed their childre i order to save them Law ad Order This bill would ot brig udesirable elemets ito the Uited States; the childre would be carefully selected ad would have to meet all immigratio requiremets (cotiued) ushmm.org/americas IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL 8

9 IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL Aswer Key Letters to the editor for ad agaist the Wager-Rogers Bill The America public overwhelmigly codemed Nazi persecutio of Jews. However, Americas did ot agree i 1939 about how best to aid Jews fleeig Nazi brutality. While there was broad support for the Wager-Rogers Bill, particularly from a diversity of religious orgaizatios, labor uios, childre s welfare orgaizatios, ad leaders i politics ad the etertaimet idustry, the majority of Americas were opposed to allowig additioal immigrats ito the coutry, icludig childre fleeig Nazi persecutio. The editorial boards of most ewspapers i the Uited States supported passage of the Wager-Rogers Bill. Letters to the editor, o the other had, revealed a populace that was deeply divided about America s resposibility to aid refugees from Europe. PRO Ecoomic Childre would ot eter the workforce for several years; they will ot compete with America workers; orgaized labor supports this bill Political This bill would ot brig udesirable elemets ito the US; to the cotrary, these childre would likely be so thakful to the coutry that saved them that they would become extremely patriotic Americas Social Oly childre who had a sposorig family or istitutio that could vouch for their fiacial support ad well beig would be allowed ito the US; they would ot become a social uisace Fairess ad Traditioal Values Other coutries are takig i refugees; America should hoor its historical traditios ad values datig back to the Pilgrim Fathers as a coutry that opeed its doors to refugees for political ad religious freedom CON Nativism There are millios of uemployed ad hudreds of thousads of hugry childre i the Uited States; we should take care of our ow first before helpig foreig childre Nativism We have too may alies i this coutry today. Ecoomic The people who are sposorig this bill should should furish the moey to take care of these refugees ot the Uited States taxpayers. (i fact, the bill did ot place ay burde o taxpayers; the child refugees would oly be admitted to the Uited States if idividual sposors provided affidavits of support demostratig that the child would ot become a public charge) ushmm.org/americas IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES: DEBATING THE WAGNER-ROGERS BILL 9

10 The Museum wishes to ackowledge ad thak the followig doors to the Americas ad the Holocaust Iitiative: Jeaie & Joatha Lavie The Bilders Joa & Alle z l, Elisa Spuge & Rob, Nacy & Jim Jae ad Daiel Och Aki Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Arold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP Ruth Miriam Berstei Joyce ad Irvig Goldma Family Foudatio I Memory of Simo Koover Philip ad Cheryl Milstei Family Bejami ad Seema Pulier Charitable Foudatio David ad Fela Shapell Family Foudatio Deborah Simo Laurie ad Sy Sterberg ushmm.org/americas