Author: Stephen Aderton

Interviewer: Christian Ford

During World War II, millions of ethnic and cultural minorities, mainly Jews, were killed by Nazis in the Holocaust. Despite thousands of refugees managing to escape Nazi Germany, many countries to which they fled denied them entry. The U.S. denied entry to thousands of Holocaust refugees. This was largely because of public opposition to aiding refugees, and legislation from 1924 that set a quota for all immigrants. Those who were affected by the U.S.'s outdated immigration laws were turned away, and often sent back to Europe. The most notorious instance of this occurring was the voyage of the M.S. St. Louis, an Atlantic liner that was denied entry into Cuba, the U.S., and Canada before being turned around. Over 200 of those on board the St. Louis died in concentration camps during world war II. The question of whether or not the U.S. could have done more to aid refugees during world war II remains controversial.