A disturbing 80 percent of young Americans are unaware of basic facts about the Holocaust
A nationwide survey out Wednesday reveals millennials and Gen Z Americans have a disturbing ignorance of the Holocaust.
For what organizers are calling the first nationwide Holocaust knowledge survey, 1,000 Americans age 18 to 39 — 200 from each state — were asked if they knew about the systemic murder of more than 6 million Jews and other minorities during World War II. Just 17 percent of them were aware of basic facts regarding the Holocaust, while not many fewer, 12 percent, didn't think they'd even heard the word Holocaust before, the survey found.
Among the most shocking findings was that 63 percent of respondents said they didn't know 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. About a third of them — 36 percent — said they believed 2 million or fewer Jews were killed. A bit less than half of those surveyed couldn't name even one of the 40,000 concentration camps and ghettos, while 56 percent didn't recognize the name of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Perhaps most disturbingly, 56 percent of respondents say they've recently seen Nazi symbols and propaganda used in their communities or on social media.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In all, just 17 percent had heard of the Holocaust, knew 6 million Jews were killed, and could name a concentration camp, constituting what the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany called a basic knowledge of the genocide. Alaska, Delaware, Maryland, and New York had the lowest Holocaust knowledge scores of all the states. Still, 80 percent of respondents say it's important to learn more about the Holocaust so it doesn't happen again. Find the whole survey here.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published