Negotiating Priorities: The National Catholic Welfare Conference and United States Migration Policy in a Post-World War II World, 1948-1952
Following World War II Congress engaged in a series of high profile debates on the problem of displaced persons in Europe and domestic immigration policy. To date, very little has been written on the National Catholic Welfare Conference's involvement in these discussions. This essay constitutes...
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
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Published: |
American Catholic Historical Society
2010
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In: |
American catholic studies
Year: 2010, Volume: 121, Issue: 4, Pages: 61-86 |
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Summary: | Following World War II Congress engaged in a series of high profile debates on the problem of displaced persons in Europe and domestic immigration policy. To date, very little has been written on the National Catholic Welfare Conference's involvement in these discussions. This essay constitutes a first step in addressing this oversight and does so by focusing on the well developed and multilayered strategy that the bishops constructed to influence the development of migration policy following the Second World War. During this period the bishops struggled with the problem of displaced persons in Europe and sought to secure emergency legislation that would aid in the resettlement of these vulnerable populations. Their efforts were hampered by the fact that these debates were set within the context of a restrictive American immigration policy that was itself under discussion around the same time. In addition to emergency legislation, they advocated for the liberalization of these restrictive measures. Given the political realities of the day, the bishops were at times forced to engage in pragmatic considerations as to which priorities were most likely to be realized and which were not. These considerations helped to form the framework around which their advocacy efforts occurred. |
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ISSN: | 2161-8534 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: American catholic studies
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