Tossed to the Four Winds The Latvian people who had fled their country during WW II and had spend a long time in DP (Displaced Person’s) Camps in Germany while others had opted to go to Sweden were ready to move on as war came to an end. These were families, people young and old, and babies born at the camps who now had to decide which way they would go. Their choices included Australia, America, Canada, England, Sweden and even as far as South America. It was scary and who knew what awaited you at the end. Some people did stay behind to begin life anew in Germany but the saddest part for everyone was that they would not be returning home to Latvia. Their journeys were going to take them even farther away from Europe and everything they had …show more content…
and Pastor Ozols headed the Latvian Church in Yonkers, N.Y. Eventually Yonkers Latvians got their own church but the Latvians in Brooklyn rented a church and shared it with Swedes. Writer Modris Zeberins in his memories said that first of all when they neared the harbor he noticed right away that New Yorkers were a colorful group of people whereas he and all the other immigrants looked like gray little sad birds. He also noted that while they were used to the much cooler European climate they now felt sticky and sweaty beneath their heavy woolen coats. He himself had much farther to go as he only managed to purchase a pouch of tobacco before boarding a train onwards to Wisconsin where a job and his master awaited him. So five years rolled by quickly and the Latvians were now on their own feet, their families had expanded, they could be proud of their Latvian organizations, new babies had been born and those who had grown older were attending American schools and Latvian Church schools on Saturdays. Life was moving along. Of course in the everyday world Latvians worked alongside Americans and the one thing that the Americans could not understand was why the Latvians wanted to continue to use their own language, have Latvian societies and teach their children