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The U.S. and the Holocaust

US Bill to Save Refugee Children Hits Wall of Anti-Semitism

In 1939, two senators introduced a bill to help refugee children enter the United States. It was backed by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt – and opposed by the American Legion, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Coalition of Patriotic Societies. But no group was more adamantly opposed to admitting Jewish refugees than the German American Bund, led by the “American Fuhrer.”

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“The Homeless, Tempest-Tossed” (1942 - )
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2:10:51
As the Allies liberate German camps, the public sees the sheer scale of the Holocaust.
“Yearning to Breathe Free” (1938-1942)
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2:17:35
As war begins, some Americans work tirelessly to help refugees; others remain indifferent.
“The Golden Door” (Beginnings-1938)
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2:08:43
Reversing open borders, a xenophobic backlash prompts Congress to restrict immigration.
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