Roosevelt and the War Refugee Board both got lots of mail in the wake of the announcement of the establishment of Fort Ontario. Most letters congratulated on the humanitarian efforts, some asked how to get their relatives on the transport, and an ugly minority complained about the “dirty Jew rapists” that the US would undoubtedly allow in.
This is my favorite of all the letters. The Oswego Chamber of Congress wrote to FDR to thank him for selecting their town to play host to the refugees. They’re not concerned about jobs, about the influx of refugees, or about any possible problems. No–they are proud to be selected, and proud of the part they will play in welcoming the refugees. If you look at the signature, you will see that only a few days after the announcement that Oswego (home of the Fort) will be the location, the town has already formed a Fort Ontario committee. I’m pleased to say that this attitude held up after the refugees arrived–they really could not have come to a more welcoming and excited town than Oswego, NY.
(I am excited to be going to the Fort Ontario 70th anniversary refugee reunion next week. I’ll post about it if I can.)
