Migrating
to
California
Due to climatic changes and poor
agricultural practices, the DUST
BOWL became the motivating
factor leading to permanent
relocation of Oklahomans to other
regions of the United States.
Those who lost their farms often
migrated to agricultural regions of the
country, seeking work as migrant farm
laborers.
It is estimated that two out of every
three farmers in Oklahoma migrated
to California and Arizona in the 1930s,
seeking employment and relief from
the Dust Bowl and economic
Depression in Oklahoma…
But upon arriving in new locations,
such as California, their presence
was not always welcomed. These
new immigrants faced hostility,
prejudice, and unfair labor
practices by both state officials and
private farmers.
Private farmers set up migrant
campsites on their property with
inadequate supplies of water and
housing. Due to the overwhelming
number of workers arriving
weekly, several migratory camps
were established to offer relatively
inexpensive housing, water, and
sanitation by state governments.
This
Oklahoma
mother was
photographed
by Dorothea
Lange at a
pea-picker’s
camp in
southern
California.
Shortly after this photograph, the mother sold her tent
and the tires from her car in exchange for food from the
manger of the camp.
But the expense to state
government was too high. The
federal government took over
management of these camps in the
mid 1930s. They became a model of
self-government, a hotbed of labor
reform, and offered workers a real
chance at a new start on “life.”
Two camps kept excellent records
and photographs of the events that
took place there in the 1930s:
The Arvin and Kern Migratory
Camps even prompted John
Steinbeck to write a novel about
the lives of migrant Okies,
The Grapes of Wrath.
Photos from the Arvin and
Kern Migratory Camps,
Bakersfield area, California,
1935-1937.
Camp
Councils
made all
major
decisions of
camp laws,
use of
community
camp
resources, etc.
Source:
Library of Congress
National Archives and Records
Administration
Created by:
Pam Merrill
Edmond Public Schools