Tule Lake at the National Border Patrol Museum

November 30, 2005

But I was surprised that the most disturbing thing I came across in the museum was a photograph of personnel on detail at the Tule Lake Internment Camp. This was in a section discussing the ways in which the Border Patrol’s role changes during wartime. The photograph was placed next to other photographs of German and Italian prisoners of war from World War II. I found myself staring into the picture of the 10-12 white men holding guns trying to decipher the importance of this photograph in this museum. I felt as though this picture being framed on the wall of the National Border Patrol Museum was celebrating the duty of these soldiers whose job was a huge mistake. I guess it was the total lack of context that bothered me the most. I don’t know exactly what I wanted: A sign next to this photograph explaining how Japanese internment was one of the most heinous things that happened in American history? A section of the museum talking about NAFTA and globalization and how the U.S. depends on illegal labor? Perhaps they can remove the entire wall of sharp shooting prizes that covers most of the back wall and make room for some of my ideas.

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