Awareness of Holocaust and Genocide Issues by Michigan Young Adults

Awareness of Holocaust and
Genocide Issues
by Michigan Young Adults

Awareness of Holocaust and Genocide issues by Michigan Young Adults
1
Objectives and Methodology
The objective of the research is to assess awareness of Holocaust and Genocide
information among Michiganians 18-25.
We conducted a quantitative telephone study. We interviewed 412 people. For a sample
of this size the margin of error is 4.83 at the 95% confidence level.
Field work was completed in May 2014.
2
Conclusions
Holocaust is being taught in the Michigan school system, with 94% saying they were taught
at least a little about it.
Other Genocides are taught less with 28% saying they were not taught it all and a further
39% only a little bit.
Education is effective. Those who say they were taught more, know more.
Other variables including gender and region of Michigan have little effect on Holocaust and
Genocide knowledge.
At any level of detail beyond what would be considered general knowledge (what was the
Holocaust, identify Hitler) knowledge is limited about the Holocaust with less than half of
young adults having knowledge, and less than 20% having some knowledge about other
Genocides.
It is evident that educating young adults on these issues increases their knowledge. Given
that knowledge is limited on the Holocaust, and to an even greater extent on other
Genocides, more education is likely necessary to increase knowledge.
3
7 in 10 correctly identify Hitler as Germanys leader during WWII; Half
correctly identify US president
Those who were taught about the Holocaust in school are more likely to answer correctly:
Hitler - 76% of those taught some or a lot vs. 62% of those taught none or little, and US
President - 59% vs. 41%.

Q: Who was the Chancellor/ leader of Germany during World War II? Who was the President
of the United States during World War II? Base: 412

72
2
27
Chancellor of Germany in
WWII
Hitler
Other
Don't Know
53
18
29
President of US in WWII
Roosevelt/
Truman
Other
Don't Know
4
Most are able to articulate what the Holocaust was especially those
taught about it in school (90% vs. 75%)
However, specific knowledge drops sharply with 30% being able to define the Final
Solution. Again knowledge increases among those taught from 16% of those taught none
or a little to one third of those taught some, and 41% of those taught a lot about the
Holocaust.
The most common other answer is the last step a clear guess.

Q: What was the Holocaust? What does the term Final Solution mean? Base: 412
85
10
5
Definition of the Holocaust
Correct
Other
Don't Know
Accepted definitions include: Killing/ genocide/ getting rid of Jews and/ or other undesirables.
Was Nazi Germany's plan during WWII to systematically empty Europe of its Jewish population,
either through genocide or expulsion.

30
36
34
Definition of Final Solution
Correct
Other
Don't Know
5
Only about one quarter know 6 million Jews perished in the Holocaust
Again those taught are more likely to say 6 million, with almost the same proportions who
were correctly able to define the Final Solution [16% (none or a little) vs. 31% (some) vs.
41% (a lot)].
One fifth cite a number of less than 1 million. Another one fifth say a lot or millions.

Q: How many Jews were killed in the Holocaust? Base: 412

21 10 2 28 7 18 14
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Under 1 million
1-4 million
5 million
6 million
Over 6 million
Lots/ millions
Don't Know
6
Over 6 in 10 can correctly name a Concentration Camp
53
9
38
Name a concentration camp
Auschwitz
Other camp
Don't know
Again the same pattern emerges among those taught a little or none: 46% can name a
concentration camp vs. 67% among those taught some and 75% among those taught a lot
about the Holocaust.

Q: Name one concentration camp. Base: 412

7
8 in 10 are able to cite at least one other Nazi target
20% did not know that the Nazis targeted anyone other than the Jews; this rises to over one third (35%)
of those taught none or a little about the Holocaust.
A further fifth can only cite a general mention of non-Germans/ anyone not blue-eyed and blond.
Most cited specific groups are blacks/ non-whites, Gypsies, and Homosexuals.

Q: What other groups of people were targeted by the Nazis? Base: 412

10
12
17
19
19
22
Disabled
Poles/ Slavs
Gays
Non-blonds/ Non-Aryans
Gypsies
Blacks/ non-whites
0 5 10 15 20 25
Targeted Groups
(multiple mentions)
8
Over 8 in 10 know there have been other Genocides since 1900
24% of the total or 30% of those aware that there have been other Genocides can correctly identify one.
Among those aware of other Genocides, Rwanda has most top-of-mind awareness. However, many
confuse war and terrorism with Genocide as evidenced by the 44% who cite other instances of death as
genocide.
Those who have been taught about other Genocides are equally as likely to answer this question
correctly as those who havent; however, those who have been taught about the Holocaust are more
likely to do so (87% vs. 72%).

Q: Other than the Holocaust, were there other Genocides since 1900? Base: 412
Name one other genocide that has occurred since 1900. Base: 338

82
18
Have Been Other
Genocides
Yes
No
Genocide
Correct answers 30
Rwanda 18
Armenia 5
Darfur 5
Bosnia 1
Cambodia 1
Incorrect answers 44
Dont know 27
9
6 in 10 can define Genocide
Again this increases with being taught about the Holocaust (although not other Genocides)
from 43% to 69% to 75% among those taught a lot about it.
8 in 10 who provided an incorrect response define Genocide as mass murder but miss the
point of a specific group in their definition.

Q: Define Genocide. Base: 412

62 24
14
Definition of
Genocide
Correct
Other
Don't know
Accepted definitions include: Systematic murder/ murder of people because they are part
of a group/ ethnicity/ religion/ culture.
10
Three quarters know Rwanda is in Africa
Keeping with the few who cite Cambodia as a Genocide, only 15% know who Pol Pot is.
Yet this increases to 27% of those who have been taught a lot about other Genocides.

Q: Where is Rwanda? Who was Pol Pot? Base: 412

76
7
17
Where is Rwanda?
Africa
Other
Don't know
15
70
15
Who was Pol Pot?
Leader of
Cambodia/
Khmer Rouge
Other
Don't know
11
Few can identify the victims and perpetrators of the Bosnia Genocide
There is almost no knowledge of this Genocide. 45% of those who have been taught a lot
about Genocide can identify the victims, again showing the benefit of education.

Q: In Bosnia, which ethnic group was the victim of mass murder, rape and displacement? In
Bosnia, which group was the perpetrator of these crimes? Base: 412

14
26
59
Bosnia Victims
Muslims/
Croatians
Other
Don't know
8
21
72
Bosnia Perpetrators
Christians/
Serbs
Other
Don't know
12
Holocaust is remembered as having been taught compared to other
Genocides
On average, young adults report that they were taught some about the Holocaust and a
little about other Genocides during high school.

Q: Think back on your high school education. Please indicate how much you were taught
about the Holocaust? Other Genocides? Base: 412

6
28
27
39
43
27
24
5
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Taught about Holocasut
Taught about Other Genocides
None
A little
Some
A lot
13
8 in 10 did not visit the Holocaust Memorial Center in high school
18
82
Visited HMC
Yes
No
Those who have visited are
more likely to be from Flint Tri-
Cities 31% and Southeast 25%.
Visit to the HMC does not appear to impact the knowledge young adults have about the
Holocaust and other Genocides as tested in this survey.

Q: In high school, as a class or on a school trip, did you visit the Holocaust Museum /
Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills? Base: 412

14
All respondents were 18-25 and attended high school in Michigan. 96% of respondents
were high school graduates. Good mix of gender and region.
No regional differences.

Base: 528 those aware

Demographics
40
60
Gender
Male
Female
15
15
3
40
13
7
7
Unspecified
Western
UP
Southeast
Northern LP
Flint Tri-Cities
Central
0 20 40 60
Michigan Region

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