Figure 1.--.

Many Americans were active in the effort to help refugees. No American was more associated with this effort that First Lady Elenor Roosevelt. It was a logical extension of her notable efforts to assist needy Americans during the Depression. Mrs. Roosevelt worked began working to assist refugees from NAZI Germany by trying to offer refuge in America. Here she was stimied by America's immigration quotas. Immigration has been strictlt limited in the 1920s and there was strong popular support for strict limits on immigration which was only intensified by the Depression. Thus it was not politically possible to change the immigration laws and this became even more unlikely when Republicans and Conservative Democrats trounded progresive New Deal reformers in the 1938 Congressional by-elections. Thus Mrs. Roosevelt and others turned to private efforts to assist refugees. Mrs Roosevelt promoted many private charitable groups attempting to assist refugees. She served on the board of directors of some of these organizations and advised other without actually participating directly. She attempted unsucessfully to assist Basque children orphaned by the Spanish Civil War. When Kristallnacht showed the character of the NAZI regime, Mrs Roosevelt began working with the Emergency Rescue Committee and the the U.S. Committee for the Care of European Children. After the War broke out she worked with the Children's Crusade for Children. Mrs Roosevelt was instrumental in obtaining support for Varian Fry's rescue operations. While the President's policies were contrained by the need to fight the isolationists, Mrs Roosevelt's refugee work was very public. She worked tirelessly on the Child Refugee Bill which would have permitted 10,000 Jewish children a year for 2 years to enter the United States over and above the immigration quota fort Germans. Congress was, however, adament that immigration quotas would not be raised. After Pearl Harbor, in addituin to her War work, Mrs. Roosevelt continued to push for a more humane immigration policy. She sharply criticized the restrictive visa policies of Breckinridge Long and worked closely with Assistant Secretary of State Sumner Welles to issue more entrance visas for refugees. Mrs Roosevelt was able to help a few individuals obtain refuge in the United States, but throughout the War American immigration law remained unchanged.

Humanitarian Concerns

Many Americans were active in the effort to help refugees. No American was more associated with this effort that First Lady Elenor Roosevelt. It was a logical extension of her notable efforts to assist needy Americans during the Depression. Mrs. Roosevelt worked began working to assist refugees from NAZI Germany by trying to offer refuge in America.

Immigration Quotas

Here she was stimied by America's immigration quotas. Immigration has been strictlt limited in the 1920s and there was strong popular support for strict limits on immigration which was only intensified by the Depression. Thus it was not politically possible to change the immigration laws.

Congressional By-election (1938)

President Roosevelt experienced his first election reversals in 1938. TheCourt psacking schmne and the so-called Roosevet recession hurt theNew Dealers. Chnges in the immigration quotas became even more likely when Republicans and Conservative Democrats trounded progresive New Deal reformers in the 1938 Congressional by-elections.

Private Efforts

Thus Mrs. Roosevelt and others turned to private efforts to assist refugees. Mrs Roosevelt promoted many private charitable groups attempting to assist refugees. She served on the board of directors of some of these organizations and advised other without actually participating directly. She attempted unsucessfully to assist Basque children orphaned by the Spanish Civil War. When Kristallnacht showed the character of the NAZI regime, Mrs Roosevelt began working with the Emergency Rescue Committee and the the U.S. Committee for the Care of European Children. After the War broke out she worked with the Children's Crusade for Children. Mrs Roosevelt was instrumental in obtaining support for Varian Fry's rescue operations. While the President's policies were contrained by the need to fight the isolationists, Mrs Roosevelt's refugee work was very public.

Child Refugee Bill

She worked tirelessly on the Child Refugee Bill which would have permitted 10,000 Jewish children a year for 2 years to enter the United States over and above the immigration quota fort Germans. Congress was, however, adament that immigration quotas would not be raised. After Pearl Harbor, in addituin to her War work, Mrs. Roosevelt continued to push for a more humane immigration policy. She sharply criticized the restrictive visa policies of Breckinridge Long and worked closely with Assistant Secretary of State Sumner Welles to issue more entrance visas for refugees. Mrs Roosevelt was able to help a few individuals obtain refuge in the United States, but throughout the War American immigration law remained unchanged.

Created: 11:27 PM 1/31/2005
Last updated: 11:27 PM 1/31/2005