America’s Reaction to the Holocaust p.49-55 in packet

NAZI Persecution of the Jewish People Jan. 1942: Wannsee Conference-”Final Solution” on the Jewish Question 1941: Germany bans all Jewish emigration Nov 8th/9th 1938 Kristallnacht “night of the broken glass” Nov. 1935: Nuremberg Laws May 13, 1939 U.S.S St. Louis attempts to sail 900 Jewish Refugees to the U.S by way of Cuba August 1938: Evian Conference National Origins Act Strict Quota on number of Immigrants based on country of origin 1924 U.S Policy Towards Jewish Immigration

Quota Laws and Evian Conference 1924 National Origins Act- immigration law that severally limited the number of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe Excluded almost all Asians and Nonwhites 1938 Evian Conference- 32 countries meet to discuss sympathy for the persecution of Jewish refugees but DID NOT lift immigration restrictions (Except the Dominican Republic) U.S fails to pass the Wagners Rogers Bill –permitting 20,000 Jewish German children immigration In 1924 Congress passed a discriminatory immigration law that restricted the immigration of Southern and Eastern Europeans and practically excluded Asians and other nonwhites from entry into the United States. This act instituted admission quotas by using the 1890 census to determine the population of a particular nationality group; the government then only allowed 2 percent of that population into the nation. In addition, the act completely barred immigration for all those whom the Supreme Court prohibited from obtaining U.S. citizenship, specifically Asians. The National Origins Act drastically lowered the annual quota of immigration, from 358,000 to 164,000. Congress abolished the national origins quota system in the 1960s.

United States delegate Myron Taylor delivers a speech at the Evian Conference on Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. Evian-les-Bains, France, July 15, 1938. The Hotel Royal, site of the Evian Conference on Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. Evian-les-Bains, France, July 1938. — National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.

1930s US VISA RESTRICATIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR GERMAN-JEWISH REFUGEES during WWII 1. Visa Application (five copies) 2. Birth Certificate (two copies; quotas were assigned by country of birth) 3. A Certificate of Good Conduct from German police authorities, including two copies respectively of the following: Police dossier Prison record Military record 4. Affidavits of Good Conduct (required after September 1940) 5. Physical Examination at the U.S. Consulate 6. Permission To Leave Germany (imposed September 30, 1939) 7. Proof of Booked Passage to the Western Hemisphere (required after September 1939) 8. Two Sponsors ("affiants"); close relatives of prospective immigrants were preferred. The sponsors must have been American citizens or have had permanent resident status, and they must have filled out an 9. Affidavit of Support and Sponsorship (six copies notarized), as well as provided: Certified copy of their most recent Federal tax return Affidavit from a bank regarding their accounts Affidavit from any other responsible person regarding other assets (an affidavit from the sponsor’s employer or a statement of commercial rating)

Responses to the Jewish Persecution Antisemitic cartoon from the 1896 presidential election that
depicts the United States (represented by Uncle Sam) being
crucified by greedy Jewish businessmen. Antisemitic poster equating Jews with communism. United States, 1939. — Jewish War Veterans Museum

Wannsee Conference January 1942 Determined that the Jews could not ne eliminated through emigration Developed the “Final Solution” Systematic extermination of the European Jews U.S found out about Wannsee in Summer of 1942 BUT filed away and DID NOTHING

Exit Ticket: - 1. List two ways the U.S responded or didn’t respond to the Holocaust? 2. Based on what you know about the 1930s and 1940s why do you think the U.S responded this way?