America-First Poll–No Refugees Here
POLL: NO JEWISH REFUGEES HERE*
December 14, 1938
“Jewish refugees should not be admitted to the United States in any great numbers, a large majority of college youths in this country believes, according to the first national poll of the Student Opinion Surveys of America.”*
To the question, “Should the United States offer a haven in this country for Jewish refugees from Central Europe?”, 31.2 per cent of undergraduates said ‘yes,’ whereas 68.8 per cent said ‘no’. These figures are the first announced by the newly founded Student Surveys, an organization of campus editors which publish weekly reports on national referenda.” **
Our history’s an ongoing irony; right now our nation’s is a roiling hell for Hispanic and Near East peoples.
We know where this leads even as we shy from the knowledge.
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* The Harvard Crimson published the piece with no by-line.
** In 1938, Jews were, among Americans, commonly associated with Bolshevism, Trotskyism, and other leftist, radical movements, such as the Wobblies, the most radical workers union in our history.
07/17/2019 @ 4:53 pm
More of the country is tolerant than that now. We still have bad problems but not on that scale.
07/17/2019 @ 5:05 pm
Hence the asterisks. But Muslims and Hispanics are.
07/17/2019 @ 5:15 pm
In those numbers? As in damned near 70’% opposition? It would really depend on the question.
07/17/2019 @ 7:08 pm
https://www.snopes.com/news/2015/11/17/harvard-crimson-jewish-refugees/
“1938 Harvard Crimson Poll on ‘Jewish Refugees’
Social media users shared a 1938 Harvard Crimson poll about Holocaust refugees, but the newfound article lacked some pertinent historical context.”
Context IS kind of important.
07/18/2019 @ 8:20 am
Hence, the asterisks.