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In a compelling approach to storytelling, When Europe Was a Prison
Camp weaves together two accounts of a family's eventual escape
from Occupied Europe. One, a memoir written by the father in 1941;
the other, begun by the son in the 1980s, fills in the story of
himself and his mother, supplemented by historical research. The
result is both personal and provocative, involving as it does
issues of history and memory, fiction and "truth," courage and
resignation. This is not a "Holocaust memoir." The Schrags were
Jews, and Otto was interned, under execrable conditions, in
southern France. But Otto, with the help of a heroic wife, escaped
the camp before the start of massive transfers of prisoners "to the
East," and Peter and his mother escaped from Belgium before the
Jews were rounded up and sent to Auschwitz. Yet, the danger and
suffering, the comradeship and betrayal, the naive hopes and
cynical despair of those in prison and those in peril are
everywhere in evidence.
In a book of deep and telling ironies, Peter Schrag provides
essential background for understanding the fractious debate over
immigration. Covering the earliest days of the Republic to current
events, Schrag sets the modern immigration controversy within the
context of three centuries of debate over the same questions about
who exactly is fit for citizenship. He finds that nativism has long
colored our national history, and that the fear - and loathing - of
newcomers has provided one of the faultlines of American cultural
and political life. Schrag describes the eerie similarities between
the race-based arguments for restricting Irish, German, Slav,
Italian, Jewish, and Chinese immigrants in the past and the
arguments for restricting Latinos and others today. He links the
terrible history of eugenic 'science' to ideas, individuals, and
groups now at the forefront of the fight against rational
immigration policies. "Not Fit for Our Society" makes a powerful
case for understanding the complex, often paradoxical history of
immigration restriction as we work through the issues that inform,
and often distort, the debate over who can become a citizen, who
decides, and on what basis.
"Once again, Peter Schrag asserts himself as a perceptive and
courageous commentator. This book can be painful because it is so
true. Here is first-rate social commentary: edgy, engaged with
disquieting issues, yet never, finally, despairing that California
might regain its way and, after corrective action, reclaim its role
as a hopeful American experiment."--Kevin Starr, Professor of
History, University of Southern California
"Peter Schrag has written a reasoned and passionate essay about
California's vast problems and its even more astonishing
possibility as America's America."--Richard Rodriguez, author of
"Brown: The Last Discovery of America
"There is no one better at observing, analyzing and understanding
the great California experiment in politics and culture than Peter
Schrag. For more than a century, this state has been the nation's
economic and cultural leader. The question posed by Schrag is
whether that leadership will continue or end in the 21st century.
Facing the growing conflicts of diversity, dysfunction,
disinvestments and disenchantment, can this state again govern
itself? The answer to that question will be a test not only for
California but for the future of the nation."--Leon E. Panetta,
former White House Chief of Staff, and Director, Panetta
Institute
"I recommend Peter Schrag's "California: America's High-Stakes
Experiment for anybody interested in understanding the great
challenges facing our state. California, once known throughout the
world for the quality of its schools, freeways, water systems and
parks, has not significantly improved its infrastructure since the
late 1960s when there were 16 million residents. We now have 37
million, according tothe California Department of Finance, and by
2025 there could be as many as 46 million. After reading this book,
you can understand why Schrag concludes that California is 'the
ultimate test both for the nation and perhaps the world of whether
a society so large and diverse could successfully integrate into an
effective modern democracy.'"--Senator Dianne Feinstein
"Schrag has managed a rare accomplishment--offering a detailed
account of the political, demographic, and fiscal realities of
California in a both broadly appealing and carefully detailed
volume. This is a timely, relevant, and very important work."--Mark
Baldassare, director of research, Public Policy Institute of
California, and author of "California in the New Millennium
In a book of deep and telling ironies, Peter Schrag provides
essential background for understanding the fractious debate over
immigration. Covering the earliest days of the Republic to current
events, Schrag sets the modern immigration controversy within the
context of three centuries of debate over the same questions about
who exactly is fit for citizenship. He finds that nativism has long
colored our national history, and that the fear - and loathing - of
newcomers has provided one of the faultlines of American cultural
and political life. Schrag describes the eerie similarities between
the race-based arguments for restricting Irish, German, Slav,
Italian, Jewish, and Chinese immigrants in the past and the
arguments for restricting Latinos and others today. He links the
terrible history of eugenic 'science' to ideas, individuals, and
groups now at the forefront of the fight against rational
immigration policies. "Not Fit for Our Society" makes a powerful
case for understanding the complex, often paradoxical history of
immigration restriction as we work through the issues that inform,
and often distort, the debate over who can become a citizen, who
decides, and on what basis.
Aufbau-a German-language weekly, published in New York and
circulated nationwide-was an essential platform for the generation
of refugees from Hitler and the displaced people and concentration
camp survivors who arrived in the United States after the war. The
publication served to link thousands of readers looking for friends
and loved ones in every part of the world. In its pages Aufbau
focused on concerns that strongly impacted this community in the
aftermath of World War II: anti-Semitism in the United States and
in Europe, the ever-changing immigration and naturalization
procedures, debates about the designation of Hitler refugees as
enemy aliens, questions about punishment for the Holocaust and
other Nazi crimes, the struggle for compensation and restitution,
and the fight for a Jewish homeland. The book examines the columns
and advertisements that chronicled the social and cultural life of
that generation and maintained a detailed account of
German-speaking cultures in exile. Peter Schrag is the first to
present a definitive account of the influential publication that
brought postwar refugees together and into the American mainstream.
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