My Letter to Dorothea Lange

Dear Dorothea Lange,

First and foremost I want to acknowledge and admire your beautiful work and the justice you’ve fought for through them. I know that sometimes it can be very hard to stand up for what you believe in when everybody else is trying to bring you down. Yet, even with an opposition as powerful and intimidating as is the United States government, you have tried and fought back. Not in a violent way as many would feel is necessary, but in a subtle way that many times gets the point across even stronger.

To think that our very own country could be responsible for such an unjustifiable action is shocking. It was thanks to you, however, that I and so many other Americans have gotten to better understand what was done and why it was wrong. When you decided to take on a job offered to you by the government did you ever expect to see what you saw? Honestly, I wouldn’t have. There is so much pride that comes with being an American, especially right after the Pearl Harbor attacks, that I feel may blind us to certain truths about our country. However, you were not blinded. You went in with an objective and came out with another one altogether. It was the passion to tell the truth the best way you knew how at the time. It was through your art that you got to tell a story. It is a story that needed to be told and to be understood.

I can only imagine the frustration and the pain you must have felt when they tried to oppress you. When they tried to quiet you and tell you to mind your business. How dare they?! I’m sorry that you had to go through that. That your powerful story was seized and locked away to what seemed like would be forever. But I have great news! Your truth is out! So many are listening to it now. I’ve seen it. I know about it and now I understand. Thank you.

What’s so important about your photographs of the Japanese internment is that we all needed to know. We needed to see it. That way it should never happen again. We must not allow it.  We must have faith in our country and not fear it. You helped me understand that, Dorothea. You taught us in a way we don’t often get to learn from. It was through photographs. It was your photographs.

Wherever you are, I am sure you feel content knowing that you’ve made a change. It must feel great to know that they could not shut you up for good.  You have fought for justice in a way not many think they can. I know you have enlightened somebody else to do something different in a fight against oppression. See Dorothea, you have made a difference in this country. You put an image to the facts. Thank you.

Greatly Appreciative,

Eric Castillo