When boats enter the New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty is immediately visible. For those fleeing persecution during the years before, during, and after the Holocaust, this American symbol of freedom represented the promise of safety and a better life. A bronze plaque at the base of the statue confirms that hope with the words of Jewish-American Emma Lazarus. Her poem, “The New Colossus,” welcomes the “tired, poor, and huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” However, a second poem by Thomas Aldridge, “Unguarded Gates” was equally known during the same time and complicates this message of unconditional welcome.

By reflecting on these poems alongside select documentary clips from The U.S. and the Holocaust, students will identify and understand that the symbolic meaning of the Statue of Liberty is unique to the personal circumstances of the individual encountering it.

This lesson focuses on the symbolic meaning of the Statue of Liberty as seen through various viewpoints and leading to dramatically different interpretations of the statue, and therefore the United States. In a series of clip viewing activities, students will uncover the different meanings the Statue of Liberty embodies and come to understand that the statue’s meaning is not fixed. Students will consider these meanings in their historical context and have the opportunity to draw connections to our contemporary immigration crises. To culminate, students will create media projects representing their own perceptions of the statue.