The first thing I did today was visiting the restored Threatt Filling Station on Route 66 near Luther, Oklahoma. It was an important service station, a refuge, for African Americans during the segregation era, when blacks were not allowed to drive after dark ("sundown towns"). Most hotels and restaurants did not allow black people, and for this reason, there was a special guide book "the Green Book" that listed places to stay, eat, and refuel for black motorists.
I watched the movie The Green Book, and listened to the audiobook Driving the Green Book by Alvin Hall. Quite intriguing that the theme is the same as the Grapes of Wrath: oppression of hungry migrants.
In my view, there were six major migrations in the US history:
1. Europeans crossing the Atlantic to America
2. American frontiers crossing the Mississippi River to West
3. African Americans released from slavery moving from South to North
4. Midwest farmers moving to West (the Dust Bowl era)
5. Asians (Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Indians) crossing the Pacific
6. Mexicans and Central Americans crossing the southern border
All of them share the same reason for migration: survival. And all of them suffered.
Migrants are hungry and would do anything to find food and jobs. When there is a large group of desperate, hungry people, those who HAVE things feel threatened. Their natural reaction is to protect what they have, and consequently, they attempt to isolate migrants.
Human history never ceases to repeat these vicious cycles to this day, not just the US but everywhere in the world.
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Speaking of filling station, the gas is much cheaper here than California, as seen in the photos.
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I visited my old school, Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. Like any other places, it changed a lot, but nice to recognize some old buildings still there. Photos: Library, Student Union, and Ker Hall (one of the dormitories I stayed).
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In the evening, I went out to nearby entertainment district, the Bricktown. The baseball field is right there, giving an urban feel like Oracle Park in SF and Camden Yard in Baltimore. Nice ball park. I wacthed the Oklahoma City Comets (the Triple-A affilicate of LA Dodgers) against Salt Lake Bees (the affiliate of LA Angels). I saw a few major leaguers in the game (Kike Hernandez and Ryan Ward). Too bad Blake Snell didn't pitch today. I had their specilty food, Comet Dog (a foot long black pepper sausage with pulled pork and pineapple relish)