Analysis Of Nicholas Kristof's Article 'Anne Frank Today Is A Syrian Girl'

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A year ago I was in a class discussing the Syrian refugee issue. The popular opinion of the class was that we felt like someone needed to save them, however we were scared that if the United States let them in, terrorists would be able to sneak in pretending to be refugees. In Nicholas Kristof’s article, Anne Frank Today is a Syrian Girl, Kristof makes the connection of the American fear of accepting Syrian refugees and the American fear of letting the Jewish refugees in. He explains, “Jews were widely seen as potential Communists or even Nazis. There were widespread fears that Germany would infiltrate the U.S. with spies and saboteurs under the cover that they were Jewish refugees.” This fear America has had in the past directly parallels to the fear of letting Syrians in today. Kristoff’s entire article was a reflection on how the Syrian issue echos the Holocaust. He creates parallels with the American reluctance to help an innocent group of people from being murdered by terrorists and the American reluctance to help Jews from their inevitable inhumane treatment and deaths. Kristoff believes we should see the Holocaust as an example of what happens when we do not take action in times like these. If we do not use the Holocaust as a mold of what could happen, history will repeat itself. James …show more content…

For example, very few people in my generation know about the Rwandan Genocide, and if they do, they know few to no details. It has not been relevant in our lifetime because it happened before we were born or able to communicate and it is not discussed today. The Holocaust stays relevant and in discussion today because of how much people tend to compare and contrast the Holocaust with other events and people, such as the Syrian refugee issue or Donald Trump. If we did not do this, the Holocaust would be known just as well as the Rwandan Genocide within a few

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