Sangam: A Confluence of Knowledge Streams

Refugees in Times of Reelection: An Analysis of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman’s Responses to Jewish Refugees During and After World War II

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dc.contributor Poor, Lauren
dc.contributor Baylor University.
dc.contributor History.
dc.contributor Honors College.
dc.creator Burke, Anabel
dc.date 2017-05-25T00:06:24Z
dc.date 2017-05-25T00:06:24Z
dc.date 2017-05-08
dc.date 2017-05-24
dc.date.accessioned 2022-05-18T12:28:59Z
dc.date.available 2022-05-18T12:28:59Z
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/2104/10015
dc.identifier.uri http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/31706
dc.description Many individuals hold a false notion that America is a safe haven for refugees, but a closer look at the refugee crisis surrounding World War II (1930-1948) tells a different story; Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and Harry S. Truman faced the difficult decision of if they should help Jewish refugees, and if so, how. In this thesis I argue that presidents’ actions concerning refugees are tempered by political concerns and driven by a xenophobic America, and that for a president to act humanitarianly and openly in refugees’ best interest that they are usually not facing reelection and are in a relatively safe political position. By examining the political correspondence of both presidents, I show that refugees fare best when they seek aid and admittance to the United States under a second-term president, and the examples of FDR and Truman help to shed a light on the more recent Syrian refugee crisis and former President Obama’s motivations and dealings with those clamoring at America’s gates.
dc.format application/pdf
dc.format application/pdf
dc.language en_US
dc.rights Baylor University projects are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.
dc.rights Worldwide access
dc.subject World War II.
dc.subject Refugees.
dc.subject Jewish.
dc.subject Franklin Roosevelt.
dc.subject Harry Truman.
dc.subject Motivations.
dc.title Refugees in Times of Reelection: An Analysis of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman’s Responses to Jewish Refugees During and After World War II
dc.type Thesis


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