Figure 1.--The Highland Park Community War Chest campaign (July 1945) was assisting an orphan Dutch boy name Roelf. We do not know if the little Dutch boy was ever adopted. Put the cursor on the image to read the full story.

The subject of America and displaced children is a complicated one iinvolving both Anerican children and foreign children and families given refuge in America. The tragedy of displaced children during World war II is generally seen as a foreign problem, but some American children were affected. Some American children were displaced in World War II. A small number were the children of Americans taken captive by the Japanese in the Philippines (1942). These were the American childern most harshly affected by the War. They were held in terriblr conditions and many died or were near starvation with Anerican forces liberated the camps (1945). Larger number of American children were interned during the War with their families. The largest group here were the Japanese Anericans. America also took any many displaced children and families with children. This took place after the War. Refugees were a contentious political issue before the War. The United States enacted very restrictive emigration laws during the 1920s. These laws prevented any massive effort to provide refugee to the victims of Fascist tyranny in the 1930s. And there was widespread opposition to any changes in those laws. Had the Roosevelt Administration attempted to do so, the effort would have failed in Congress and it swould have emperiled efforts to prepare militarily and to support the Allies (Briyain and France. There was a program after the fall of France (June 1940) to take in British children. These were not war orphans, but children sent to America and Canada for saftey. This program was ended by the British after the RAF's victory in the Battle of Britain made invasion unlikely and children were lost in U-boat attacks. After the War America did accept war orphans and refugee families. This was made possible in part through changes in the emigration laws.

Refugees

Refugees were a contentious political issue before World War II. Unfortunately the effort to aid refugees became tied up with emmigration law, isolationism, neutality, and other issues. The first effort to aid war prphans was an initiative to aid Basque children during the Spanish Civil war, but this was unsucessful because the Catholic Heirarchy in America viewed it as an effort go assist the Spanish Republic. The United States enacted very restrictive emigration laws during the 1920s. These laws prevented any massive effort to provide refugee to the victims of Fascist tyranny in the 1930s. And there was widespread opposition to any changes in those laws. Had the Roosevelt Administration attempted to do so, the effort would have failed in Congress and it swould have emperiled efforts to prepare militarily and to support the Allies (Briyain and France).

American Children Interned by the Japanese

Some American children were displaced in World War II. A small number were the children of Americans taken captive by the Japanese in the Philippines (1942). These were the American childern most harshly affected by the War. They were held in terrible conditions and many died or were near starvation with Anerican forces liberated the camps (1945).

American Internment Camps

Larger number of American children were interned during the War with their families. The largest group here were the Japanese Anericans. Although not separated from their patents, Japanese Americans in Pacific coast states were interned in concentration or relocation camps as they were called. Italian and German families were also interned, but only aliens or those whose parents have been involved or suspected of involvement in subversive activites. President Roosevelt in February 1942 signed the order "evacuating" Japanese, most of whom were Japanese citizens, from the West Coast. The order only affected the West Coast, not the Japanese on Hawaii. About 127,000 Japanese Americans were interned. It was one of the most grevious violations of the civil rights of American citizens in United States history. While the internment of Japanese Americans was a terrible injustice, depriving them of their property in many instances and their freedom for several years, the camps were quite different than the the NAZI and Japanese concentration camps. The internees were given adequate food and the children attended local schools. Japanese Americans formed Boy Scout troops such as at the Gila River Relocation Center, Arizona, during 1943.

British Children (1940-41)

There was a program after the fall of France (June 1940) to take in British children. This was one aspect of the overall plan to evacuate children from the cities to protect then from the Luftwaffe bombing. The program to send children overseas was organized at the the time that a NAZI invasion seemed eminent. These were not war orphans, but children sent to America and Canada for saftey. I am not sure how they got around emogration laws, but because the children were not orphans and destined to be returned to their parents after the War, exceptions could be made. This program was ended by the British after the RAF's victory in the Battle of Britain made invasion unlikely and children were lost in U-boat attacks. After the War America did accept war orphans and refugee families. This was made possible in part through changes in the emigration laws.

War Brides Act (December 1945)

Eisenhower's no-franterization policy actually did not last very long. The U.S. Congress after the War amended the immigratin laws to assisst refugees. GIs and their relatives wrote their Congressmen in droves complsining about the Army. The Congress thus passed the War Brides Act (December 1945). The GIs in Germany were free to marry their German lovers. Thousands of marriages took place. sweethearts. And they did so in droves. After the law passed, about 20,000 German war brides emigrated to the the United States (1946-49). The Army outfitted the "Argentina" with nurseries to care for the war brides and their children. Like other immigrants many of the war brides quickly adapted to America. Othere were home sick and eventually returned. I'm not sure if any studies exist assessing the overall experience of these couples.

War Orphans and Refugee Families

America also took any many displaced children and families with children. This took place after the War.

Displaced Children in Europe

Extensive America assistyance abd relief supplies was provided displaced children and adults in Europe.

Created: 3:00 AM 12/24/2006
Last updated: 3:00 AM 12/24/2006