Antelope High School

Home of the Titans

Principal, John Becker
Phone: (916)782-6565 ext. 1047

Lubov Yurkiv
7801 Titan Drive
Antelope Ca, 95843

Governor Jerry Brown

c/o State Capital, Suite 1173
Sacramento, Ca 95814

To Whom It May Concern:

Most of the world is unaware of the severity and harshness of the Syrian Refugee Crisis. My name is
Lubov and studying this topic as a sophomore at Antelope High School, I am voicing my opinion about the
current crisis in Syria. It has been reported that over ten million innocent people have been removed from their
home due to the war present in their country and millions have died as a result. Life expectancy has plummeted
down to just fifty years of age. I come from a family of immigrants as well. Both of my grandparents came from
Ukraine in the late eighties to find a safe and prosperous place to live and raise their families. We are still
thinking back to the days and being thankful for the opportunity they were given to have a plentiful life. The
journey should've been hard with many struggles, like it was to many other immigrants coming from Syria and
all over the Middle East today. Today’s lawmakers and governors should take the lives of innocent people today
into consideration. They should fight to keep the flow of immigrants to the United States steady and not deny
the opportunity to save people. The United States of America should allow Syrian refugees in. As a country, it
is morally right to accept as many refuges that are in life threatening situations in their homeland due to war.

To my understanding, the current situation of the refugee crisis is still being discussed. We know that
¨about 3 million refugees have been resettled in the U.S. ¨ (PEW Research Center). After the terrorist attacks of
2001, refugees were suspended for three months. Slowly the numbers have increased again, but recently
President Trump suspended the immigration of refugees for one hundred and twenty days which caused many
families to be split apart. Also, Syrian refugees will be temporarily suspended because of security screening
measures. The Syrian country is being terrorized by an organization ISIS. The violence is not only damaging
innocent lives, but the economy as well. Report have said that the overall "economic losses of Syria are
estimated at $225 billion" (Report on Syrian Conflict, Black).

After analyzing the refugee crisis from WWII, many will say that struggles and outcomes for people are
more similar than different. German officials pressured Jewish people to emigrate to other countries. Germany
gave America and a few other countries one last chance to save Jewish families, but the war ¨dramatically
heightened security concerns in Europe and the United States¨ (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).
People in the US were concerned that the Nazis were secretly fitting in spies and saboteurs with waves of
refugees so security measures were ¨tightened¨ for both immigrants and non-immigrants (United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum). This is very similar to today's Syrian refugee crisis. Many people are afraid of
terrorists getting into the US so security measures have been

4635 Elverta Road, Antelope, CA 95843

 Antelope High School
Home of the Titans
Principal, John Becker
Phone: (916)782-6565 ext. 1047

increased now taking 12 to 24 months to approve a single immigrant. Also many immigrants are being turned
down due to suspensions of immigration and certain complications similar to how Jewish immigrants were only
let in in certain numbers at a time. In conclusion, people think of how brutal and harsh the refugee crisis during
WWII was, but fail to recognize that the Syrian refugee crisis is already heading down the same path. The US
and other countries still have time to act and save millions of innocent people, but they just need the
determination and reassurance to do so and feel comfortable doing it.

I currently agree with governor Jerry Brown's position on the refugee crisis. The current proposition lets
refugees into the United States, but is careful in doing so with thorough security checks. Refugees support our
economy by bringing in a new mindset and potential workers with experience that is not available normally in
the US. When we accept refugees in, we are providing for our country as well as leading innocent lives to
safety. By accepting refugees from Syria into the United States not only are we reinforcing our reputation as a
place of asylum, but we are supporting our nation with a fresh wave of healthy minds that will only benefit our
future.

In conclusion the Syrian refugee crisis is an extremely serious issue and should be addressed with care
and dedication. I believe the government is helping as much as they can, while ensuring the safety of our
country as well. It would be morally wrong amidst this crisis to reject those in desperate need of help. The
choices we make today will impact the future of our this country for years to come. I hope that you vote to let
more refugees into not only California, but all of the United States. I hope you take this message into
consideration and thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Lubov Yurkiv
Antelope High School Student
Respectful. Responsible. Proud
GO TITANS!

4635 Elverta Road, Antelope, CA 95843