CR 1

Dear Yugoslavian Farmer,

I am writing you because I wanted to know how you felt taking over the farm of an innocent Japanese family. You yourself were an immigrant to the United States, how did you actually feel taking over a dream of another immigrant? No doubt the Japanese family came to the United States to fulfill a dream of theirs without being treated like animals. You came to the United States for the same reason right? You wanted to live your dream, you did not come to America to be treated wrong, or take over someone else's dream.

I find it hard to believe you could do this to a family that you did not know. Maybe you did know them, but that would make me feel worse taking over a farm of friends. The way you are standing in your picture gives off the idea that maybe you did not agree with what was going on. Did you feel like the Japanese Americans were being oppressed in any way? Have you ever felt that way yourself, and did you run from that?

The idea of taking a group of people and putting them in camps, almost the same kind of camps that Hitler created, is upsetting. Of course, the United States was not killing off the Japanese, but we were rearranging their lives. We made their decisions for them and outcasted an entire race of people. I am just wondering if you felt that this was wrong. Being an immigrant yourself and seeing all the damage done to many races in Europe, can you see how these Japanese internment camps are wrong?

Lastly I would just like to know if you ever would have given the farm back, did you give the farm back? When the Japanese family came home from their internment "home" did you give them their farm back? This is something that has been on my mind. Many of the Japanese families were forced abruptly into giving up their homes and lives. Not all of them were able to sell their businesses and homes, they were taken over. In your caption it says that you were taking over the berry farm. Did you make the Japanese family buy it back? Did you believe that by taking over the farm, you were the rightful owner?

I am sure you had some sympathy for this family, but from the picture that was taken, it is hard to make a judgement call. The oppression that the Japanese people went through was terrible, and I can not see fellow immigrants ever wanting that to happen to them because of their home country.

Yours Truely,
Lauren O'Brien