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HIAS Foils Wicked Nazi Consul; Oscar May Stay in America

May 9, 1934
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The Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society of America yesterday announced that it had forestalled deportation of Oscar Mark Isserlin, whose national pedigree is generally conceded to be more intricate than a railroad time table. When the smoke of battle cleared away Isserlin emerged a prospective American citizen.

Oscar’s Russian parents were visiting in Brazil when he was born. A short time later he returned to Russia with them. During the World War he moved to Poland, then went to Germany, and eventually returned to Brazil where he attempted to establish citizenship.

From this point the travel weary Oscar went to London where he remained long enough to obtain an American non-quota immigration visa as a Brazilian, and he sallied forth to the United States.

Meanwhile the big, bad German Consul down in Brazil and one or two other tattle-tales in America began agitating for an investigation of Oscar which the Labor department promptly undertook. Oscar, defended by Hias agents in Washington, went back over his story and identified two persons who had witnessed his squalling advent into the world on Brazilian territory. The nasty Nazi in Brazil and the local buttinskies were foiled. No deportation for Oscar.

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