Works Cited
“The International” [on-line]; accessed April 28,2009; available from http://www.raoulwallenberg.net/?en/saviors/diplomats/list/dr-feng-shan-ho.843.htm
“Diplomat and Rescuer“ [on-line]; accessed April 29, 2009; available fromwww.rwallenberg-int.org
“Obituary” [on-line]; accessed April 28, 2009; available fromhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1997/10/03/MN47312.DTL
“Asian Americans who Have Made a Difference” [book on-line]; accessed April 28, 2009; available fromteacher.scholastic.com
“The schindler of China“ [book on-line]; accessed April 29, 2009; available fromshanghaiist.com/2009/03/27/feng_shan_ho.php
Monday, May 11, 2009
Essay
Ilana Rubin
Period 6
Research Paper
There are Heroes of Today and Heroes of tomorrow. Every year there is somebody who makes a distinct difference among the lives of others. During the Holocaust there were thousands of people who tried to save the lives of the innocent victims of Hitler’s wrath. Almost everybody who was not of Christian, German faith, was coniserdered an enemy to the Germany that Hitler was trying to build. All other races were minorities; Blacks, Jews, Asians, Latinos, and even Indians. However, one man rose from his minority and became a savior. He was a Chinese man named, Dr. Feng Shan Ho, and was not a very well known hero of his time. His story is phenomenal and should be published within history school books, nation wide. He single-handedly saved thousands of Jews who were to be slaughtered by the Nazis.
Diplomacy is the conduct by government officials of negotiations and other relations between nations (The Dictionary). A diplomat is a person appointed by a national government to conduct official negotiations and maintain political, economic, and social relations with another country (The Dictionary). When Hitler began to take over Germany, with the help of his Nazi followers, it was extremely difficult to leave Europe. Jews and others who began to leave their life in Europe behind, needed government permission from the countries that they were trying to enter. To get permission, it was necessary to have a visa with an endorsement. An endorsement was usually in the form of a signature or stamp on a passport from the consular office. People who didn’t flee from Europe when they had the chance, were almost doomed to their own fate. However, diplomats were ingenious in the ways that they helped smuggle people out of invaded Nazi lands. Diplomats provided protective passports or established extraterritorial compounds to house Jews. On the other hand, most of these diplomats who did this were in “safe” boundaries. Countries that were allowed to do such a thing because Nazi Germany did not occupy them, or scare them of helping. Dr. Feng Shan Ho was not even part of any of those “safe” boundaries, and was in fact a minority in the eyes of Nazis. He issued thousands of Jews, who were in Nazi-controlled Austria, visas in order to escape the evilness of the Holocaust.
Dr. Feng Shan Ho joined the Chinese Nationalist government in 1935 with first year in Turkey (www.ocaseattle.org/HoFengShan.html). He was highly active in intellectual circles as a speaker on Chinese culture, was also appointed as first secretary to the Chinese legation in Vienna in the Spring of 1937. He had many Jewish, which made him aware that Vienna was becoming a popular place for Jews to emigrate to. Roughly, 120,000 Jews migrated to Vienna after some Jews were deported to Camp Dachau and Camp Buchenwald. For two years, Dr. Feng Shan Ho issued visas to any Jew that requested one, knowing that Chinese visas to Shanghai were used to get to the US. Shanghai harbor was under Japanese occupation, and didn’t require a visa for entry, but in order to leave Austria, Jews needed the visas as proof of any destination. “I knew that the Chinese visas were to Shanghai ’in name’ only. In reality, it was a means for Austrian Jews to find a way to get to the US, England or other destinations”, (Dr. Feng Shan Ho). Chinese Consulate was one of the main suppliers for the visas, and one man even got 20 visas for his family from the Chinese consulate after trying to get them from 50 other consulates. Dr. Feng Shan Ho still gave away visas even when the Chinese ambassador in Berlin was opposed to giving Jews any visas. The ambassador wanted to have good recognition with Germany and did not want to undermine Hitler’s anti-Semitic policy. When the ambassador found out how many visas were being given out, he immediately called Dr. Feng Shan Ho and demanded that he stop issuing the visas to Jews. The ambassador tried many things to stop Dr. Feng, but even after sending an investigator out, there was no evidence of any wrongdoing, forcing the ambassador to back off.
Among this establishment there was a Jewish-owned consulate building. The Nazis found out about this building and confiscated it after only a year of the Chinese consulate being established. Dr. Feng was determined to regain this building and asked the Chinese governments for funds in order to buy it back. “Since the Annexation of Austria by Germany, the persecution of Jews by Hitler’s ’devils’ became increasingly fierce”, (Dr. Feng Shan Ho). However, the government refused, claiming that they had no more funds to spare in this war period. Too much determination overcame Dr. Feng Shan Ho, and he ended up buying smaller facilities around the area to relocate the Jews of the previous building. After his posting in Vienna ended, he spent the remainder of the Second World War involved in China’s struggle against Japan ( www.rwallenberg-int.org/bulletin ). In 1949, he sided with the Nationalists and worked on diplomatic corporations in Taiwan. After, in 1973, he retired to San Francisco and not much was heard of him after. Dr. Feng Shan Ho died at age 96 on September 26, 1997. He was never reunited with any of the people that he saved with his issued visas. The doctor has not had much recognition, but he is honored at the Wing Luke Asian Museum in Seattle, in an exhibition titled, Visas For Life (International Examiner, article from 2002), Dr. Feng Shan Ho was an amazing man who saved so many innocent lives from an excruciating death. Austria had the third largest Jewish community in Europe. When the Nazis took over Austria and began persecuting Jews, it seemed as if a light had shined brighter then the sun when Dr. Feng Shan Ho became a political figure. Austrian Jews had nobody to turn to in their cry for help because most of the world’s nations would not accept Jewish refugees. Against all odds, many would have their prayers answered, thanks to Dr. Feng Shan Ho. He went again his own boss’s wishes and became a complete target to Nazi Germany.
Period 6
Research Paper
There are Heroes of Today and Heroes of tomorrow. Every year there is somebody who makes a distinct difference among the lives of others. During the Holocaust there were thousands of people who tried to save the lives of the innocent victims of Hitler’s wrath. Almost everybody who was not of Christian, German faith, was coniserdered an enemy to the Germany that Hitler was trying to build. All other races were minorities; Blacks, Jews, Asians, Latinos, and even Indians. However, one man rose from his minority and became a savior. He was a Chinese man named, Dr. Feng Shan Ho, and was not a very well known hero of his time. His story is phenomenal and should be published within history school books, nation wide. He single-handedly saved thousands of Jews who were to be slaughtered by the Nazis.
Diplomacy is the conduct by government officials of negotiations and other relations between nations (The Dictionary). A diplomat is a person appointed by a national government to conduct official negotiations and maintain political, economic, and social relations with another country (The Dictionary). When Hitler began to take over Germany, with the help of his Nazi followers, it was extremely difficult to leave Europe. Jews and others who began to leave their life in Europe behind, needed government permission from the countries that they were trying to enter. To get permission, it was necessary to have a visa with an endorsement. An endorsement was usually in the form of a signature or stamp on a passport from the consular office. People who didn’t flee from Europe when they had the chance, were almost doomed to their own fate. However, diplomats were ingenious in the ways that they helped smuggle people out of invaded Nazi lands. Diplomats provided protective passports or established extraterritorial compounds to house Jews. On the other hand, most of these diplomats who did this were in “safe” boundaries. Countries that were allowed to do such a thing because Nazi Germany did not occupy them, or scare them of helping. Dr. Feng Shan Ho was not even part of any of those “safe” boundaries, and was in fact a minority in the eyes of Nazis. He issued thousands of Jews, who were in Nazi-controlled Austria, visas in order to escape the evilness of the Holocaust.
Dr. Feng Shan Ho joined the Chinese Nationalist government in 1935 with first year in Turkey (www.ocaseattle.org/HoFengShan.html). He was highly active in intellectual circles as a speaker on Chinese culture, was also appointed as first secretary to the Chinese legation in Vienna in the Spring of 1937. He had many Jewish, which made him aware that Vienna was becoming a popular place for Jews to emigrate to. Roughly, 120,000 Jews migrated to Vienna after some Jews were deported to Camp Dachau and Camp Buchenwald. For two years, Dr. Feng Shan Ho issued visas to any Jew that requested one, knowing that Chinese visas to Shanghai were used to get to the US. Shanghai harbor was under Japanese occupation, and didn’t require a visa for entry, but in order to leave Austria, Jews needed the visas as proof of any destination. “I knew that the Chinese visas were to Shanghai ’in name’ only. In reality, it was a means for Austrian Jews to find a way to get to the US, England or other destinations”, (Dr. Feng Shan Ho). Chinese Consulate was one of the main suppliers for the visas, and one man even got 20 visas for his family from the Chinese consulate after trying to get them from 50 other consulates. Dr. Feng Shan Ho still gave away visas even when the Chinese ambassador in Berlin was opposed to giving Jews any visas. The ambassador wanted to have good recognition with Germany and did not want to undermine Hitler’s anti-Semitic policy. When the ambassador found out how many visas were being given out, he immediately called Dr. Feng Shan Ho and demanded that he stop issuing the visas to Jews. The ambassador tried many things to stop Dr. Feng, but even after sending an investigator out, there was no evidence of any wrongdoing, forcing the ambassador to back off.
Among this establishment there was a Jewish-owned consulate building. The Nazis found out about this building and confiscated it after only a year of the Chinese consulate being established. Dr. Feng was determined to regain this building and asked the Chinese governments for funds in order to buy it back. “Since the Annexation of Austria by Germany, the persecution of Jews by Hitler’s ’devils’ became increasingly fierce”, (Dr. Feng Shan Ho). However, the government refused, claiming that they had no more funds to spare in this war period. Too much determination overcame Dr. Feng Shan Ho, and he ended up buying smaller facilities around the area to relocate the Jews of the previous building. After his posting in Vienna ended, he spent the remainder of the Second World War involved in China’s struggle against Japan ( www.rwallenberg-int.org/bulletin ). In 1949, he sided with the Nationalists and worked on diplomatic corporations in Taiwan. After, in 1973, he retired to San Francisco and not much was heard of him after. Dr. Feng Shan Ho died at age 96 on September 26, 1997. He was never reunited with any of the people that he saved with his issued visas. The doctor has not had much recognition, but he is honored at the Wing Luke Asian Museum in Seattle, in an exhibition titled, Visas For Life (International Examiner, article from 2002), Dr. Feng Shan Ho was an amazing man who saved so many innocent lives from an excruciating death. Austria had the third largest Jewish community in Europe. When the Nazis took over Austria and began persecuting Jews, it seemed as if a light had shined brighter then the sun when Dr. Feng Shan Ho became a political figure. Austrian Jews had nobody to turn to in their cry for help because most of the world’s nations would not accept Jewish refugees. Against all odds, many would have their prayers answered, thanks to Dr. Feng Shan Ho. He went again his own boss’s wishes and became a complete target to Nazi Germany.
Making a Difference Intro
There are Heroes of Today and Heroes of tomorrow. Every year there is somebody who makes a distinct difference among the lives of others. During the Holocaust there were thousands of people who tried to save the lives of the innocent victims of Hitler’s wrath. Almost everybody who was not of Christian, German faith, was coniserdered an enemy to the Germany that Hitler was trying to build. All other races were minorities; Blacks, Jews, Asians, Latinos, and even Indians. However, one man rose from his minority and became a savior. He was a Chinese man named, Dr. Feng Shan Ho, and was not a very well known hero of his time. His story is phenomenal and should be published within history school books, nation wide. He single-handedly saved thousands of Jews who were to be slaughtered by the Nazis.
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