The Train to Crystal City

America is the country of immigrants. The first immigrants in US was the Spanishs, then the Englishs came and they brought Africans, Asians to build the country. Now, America is multiracial, people from all parts of the world come to US, for they believe that this country always treats everyone fairly. However, during the history of America, there was dark time when immigrants were discriminated, taunted and deported. Author Jan Jarboe Russell has spent years to collect stories from people of immigrant families in this time. His book - "The train to Crystal City" tell us one of the biggest secret in American history.

After Pearl Habor attack, FBI (authorized by president Roosevelt) arrested thousands of Japanese, Germans, Italians in all places within American. Most of them were innocent people and they don't know why they were arrested. Russell - the author, only has a chance to interview children from these family (now they are almost over 70). Some of them are: 

Ingrid Eiserloh was a German-born immigrant in Cleveland, Ohio. Her father was a worker. He was arrested because some of the neighbors told FBI that he built a helipad on his rooftop. The truth is that he only planned to build a pool. He was put in jailed without being prosecuted. 

Sumi was a 13-years old Japanese-American girl lived in Little Tokyo, LA. Her father was a quite famous photographer. FBI arrested him because he had donated some money to a Japanese school, and when his wife came to visit him, they were not allowed to speak in Japanese (English only). 

Ingrid and Sumi were only two of many immigrant-born children this time. Not long after their fathers were arrested, they (including their family and their father) were all sent to a place called Crystal City. Crystal city is a dry, sandy, small town in South Texas. Immigrants were sent here to do spinach. The government also put a statue of Popeye the sailor as the city symbol. But truth to be told that this city is one of the biggest internment camps during WWII. Thousands Japanese, Germans, Italians were prisoned there and exchanged for American soldier, businessmen behind enemy lines in Japan and German. They, immigrants, have to try hard to survive in the Crystal city. The book tells us what they had been through day-by-day until they were released. 

The Popeye Statue in Crystal City

The barbered wire of the Manzanar Camp, photo by Toyo Miyake. Retrieved from NYtimes (link)

Reading the book, I also find out that the Roosevelt has a wife named Elenor. She is very strong and independent from her husband. While Roosevelt running discrimination policy against immigrants, she spent her life to fight for the equality. The situation this time is somewhat similar to the situation now with the fight between Hilary and Trump on immigration, but I think Elenor is outweighted Hilary for she dare to stand up and fight her own husband.

Elenor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

Russell has done a good job for collecting many stories from American immigrants during WWII, before they pass away. His book shows us a shameful period of American, and America is not alway a country of liberty, equality, fraternity as I thought. I wonder if the history will be repeated as the trend of migration is raising.