What Would You Do s1

What Would You Do? Canada, Immigration, and Jewish Refugees Canadian Sources Investigated p. 62-67

Before Discuss with a partner the difference between an immigrant Reading and a refugee. What is the significance of the difference?

REFUGEE IMMIGRANT

During Reading

1. As you examine the evidence on pages 62-64, consider whether you agree with historian David Rome’s statement below. Be prepared to justify your conclusions. The reluctance of the Canadian government to admit Jewish refugees in any great numbers was a fair reflection of public opinion… which was strong Anglo-Saxon nativism permeated with Anti-Semitism.

What is David Rome saying in this quotation – rephrase it into your own words:

What is your initial reaction to this statement? 2. Organize your evidence using the following table: I read I think I wonder What is the evidence saying? How do I think it relates What are the implications to the quotation? of this? How do I feel? The People’s Views (text)

Evidence 3.28 Commissioner Turner

Evidence 3.29 The Bercovitch Bill

Evidence 3.30 Ligue d’Action Nationale

Evidence 3.31 Ottawa Citizen editorial

Evidence 3.32 The Mail and Empire

Evidence 3.32 Toronto Daily Star I read I think I wonder What is the evidence saying? How do I think it relates What are the implications to the quotation? of this? How do I feel? Evidence 3.34 C.E. Wilcox

Evidence 3.35 Le Devoir

Evidence 3.37 Sign posted on Jackson’s Point

Evidence 3.36 Petition to the House of Commons

Therefore… My conclusions regarding the quotation on Canada’s immigration policy

3. If you were unemployed in the 1930s, how might you have felt about immigration? Would you have supported allowing Jewish refugees to come to Canada? Why or why not? Would your feelings have been different if you were employed?

4. What has changed in Canada and the world to influence how Canadians today look at the same issues discussed above? Think about immigration and refugees today. Have Canadian attitudes changed? Explain. 5. What responsibilities and duties does Canada have today toward citizens from other countries who want to come here because of wars, persecution and other threats in their home countries? Consider factors such as economic impact on Canada, humanitarian concerns, immigrants’ adaptability to Canadian society and Canada’s international reputation.

6. Read the following statement by historians Abella and Troper, 2002:

…what should be stressed is that the depression also afforded Canadian government officials a dramatic opportunity to complete a process of restriction begun in the boom years of the 1920s. Canadian immigration policy had always been self-serving. When economic necessity dictated the admission of non-British and non-American immigrants, it was always in descending order of ethnic preference… At the bottom were Jews, Orientals and Blacks.

Do you think this statement is an accurate representation of Canada’s immigration policy during the depression? ______

Provide evidence here from p. 65-66 to support your opinion above. Note evidence from the following sections below:

Evidence 3.39 – PM Bennett 1934

Evidence 3.39 – Order in Council 1931

Evidence 3.40 – Frederick Blair 1943 Evidence 3.41 – Mackenzie King, March 1938

Evidence 3.42 – Heaps 1938

Evidence 3.43 – Mackenzie King November 1938

Evidence 4.44 – Rinfret, January 1939

Evidence 4.45 – The Voyage of the S.S. St. Louis 1939

7. Given the evidence presented, should the government of Canada have allowed a significant number of Jewish refugees to immigrate here in the 1930s? Be ready to explain your position. 8. Create a timeline of public and government opinion in Canada on refugees. Place events favouring refugees above the line; place events against refugees below the line. Use two different colours to represent government and public opinion. The dates should progress chronologically from left to right.

Favouring refugees

1933 1939 ______

Against refugees