The Long Road Home - Issue Guide (Downloadable PDF)

The purpose of this guide is to provide a framework for a deliberation about what to do about people who were still without housing and work in September 1952, seven years after the end of World War II. It is written from the perspective of people living at that time and contains the information that was available to them at that time.

The decision at the core of this guide is one that confronted the American people in the 1950s. What course of action would you have supported at that time? How would you have discussed the issue with your fellow citizens? By revisiting the problems and choices that faced the nation at an earlier time, participants will gain greater insight into both the past and the present, and further develop the civic skills necessary for making well-reasoned judgments.

Option One: Express Compassion through Charity Abroad

Option Two: Set an Example for the World by Welcoming Refugees

Option Three: Help Refugees in Ways that Preserve the Unique Fabric of American Life