Passengers aboard the SS Quanza temporarily docked in Norfolk, Virginia.
The Quanza was a Portuguese passenger and cargo steamship. In August 1940, it sailed from Lisbon to New York and then Veracruz, Mexico, carrying about 300 passengers. Among the passengers were Jewish people attempting to flee Nazi-dominated Europe. Upon arrival in Veracruz, the transit visas of 81 passengers—75 Jewish men and several of their non-Jewish wives—were rejected, and the passengers were refused entry into Mexico. The Quanza began its return voyage with these passengers still on board. It docked in Norfolk, Virginia, to refuel before returning to Portugal. With the help of the US government and individual Americans, the passengers found legal ways to stay in the United States. No one was forced to return to Europe. Photo dated September 12, 1940.
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