| Some Holocaust survivors, now later in life, are actively working to speak and educate others about their lives, however, few studies have examined their acculturative experiences. It is particularly important that this research is conducted now as the window of opportunity to examine this population of refugees is quickly disappearing.;In this study, 16 semi-structured interviews with Holocaust survivors focused on their experiences in the years following World War II and in their transition to the United States; consensual qualitative research methods (Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997; Hill, 2012) were used to analyze the data.;Analysis revealed key supportive acculturative themes including social support, work, education and community. Survivors mentioned the support of family, friends and loved ones in the United States as bringing them joy and hope for the future. Opportunities of work and education were discussed as organizing in the initial years of adjustment to the U.S. The sharing of their experiences, in particular educating children and others, was typically a motivating factor in survivor's lives. Analysis also showed some acculturative barriers including discrimination and poor relationships. Survivors varied in their report of negative experience of discrimination and anti-Semitism, some discussing significant memories of hardship in the U.S. and others expressing that they always felt accepted.;An unrelated but important finding is that many survivors spoke of their concerns for future generations. They often commented on current world politics stressing that occurrences of discrimination from smaller micro-aggressions to large-scale genocides were issues that disturbed them deeply given their own histories. Some made outright comparisons between the genocide of the Holocaust and present day genocides. The implications for further research with different refugee groups and the importance of late-life acculturation research are discussed. |
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