Americans consider themselves a 'nation of immigrants', but as the catastrophe of the Holocaust unfolds in Europe, the U.S. prove unwilling to open its doors to more than a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of desperate refuge seekers. Through riveting firsthand testimony of witnesses and survivors who as children endured persecution, violence and flight as their families tried to escape Hitler, this three-part documentary series delves deeply into the tragic human consequences of public indifference, bureaucratic red tape and restrictive quota laws in America. Did the nation fail to live up to its ideals? This is a history to be reckoned with.

The U.S. and the Holocaust (2022)

A history to be reckoned with.

★ 8.4/10 September 18, 2022 1 season

Documentary

Creator: Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, Lynn Novick

Americans consider themselves a 'nation of immigrants', but as the catastrophe of the Holocaust unfolds in Europe, the U.S. prove unwilling to open its doors to more than a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of desperate refuge seekers. Through riveting firsthand testimony of witnesses and survivors who as children endured persecution, violence and flight as their families tried to escape Hitler, this three-part documentary series delves deeply into the tragic human consequences of public indifference, bureaucratic red tape and restrictive quota laws in America. Did the nation fail to live up to its ideals? This is a history to be reckoned with.

Where to watch

PBS PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel Amazon Video Apple TV Store Google Play Movies Fandango At Home

Trailer

Creators

Ken Burns Sarah Botstein Lynn Novick

Cast

Peter Coyote Self - Narrator (voice) Daniel Mendelsohn Self Peter Hayes Self Deborah Lipstadt Self Guy Stern Self Daniel Greene Self Rebecca Erbelding Self Eva Geiringer Self Sol Messinger Self Nell Irvin Painter Self Timothy Snyder Self Adam Arkin Self (voice)