Even though the work was hard, I never heard him or my mother say that life was hopeless. It is hopeless if you sit around on a bench everyday, whining and complaining. I never heard my mother or father do this. The war came and my father became a construction worker. He helped build many of the motels on Union Avenue and other buildings throughout Bakersfield.
People say there is no work.
I say there is plenty of it on the farms around Bakersfield. Mexican people have no problem finding work, many of whom don't even speak English. If someone built a supermarket in southeast Bakersfield or a gas station, these same people would be sitting in front of it whining and complaining. I say get off your butts and become a good example for young black people. So you can understand my perspective, this letter is written by someone who is black as can be.