In California history there has always been a quest for a better life and opportunity. There was plenty of opportunity and the possibility of a better life was there however, not everyone was that lucky. A lot of immigrants and migrants from other states did not receive the promise of opportunity and better pay like they had hoped for. The Dust Bowl migrants and Asians/Japenese both were mistreated. They were discriminated against, they were treated horrible and lastly California failed them with the lie of a better life. The Dust Bowl Migrants migrated from "Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri”(Gregory 1989). “They were “pushed” by the dust bowl but yet “pulled” by the hopes of California” (Gregory 1989). Gregory mentions that the Okies did not fit with the status quo of Californian’s, they made their own little sub culture because they didn’t fit in with normalities of …show more content…
The Californian people/ Land Owners feared them very much. They also came during the same time of the depression, people of the town thought the “Okies” were stealing their jobs. “Land Owners feared that they would create a union and demand better pay, so they dehumanized the “Okies” and publicly humiliated these innocent people” (Oklahoma State Digital Library). The land owners and local residents put raised prices on food, knowing that the Okies didn’t make much money, which was very cruel. It seems as if farmers portrayed the role of a slave owner. They were so cruel to the Okies that they would not let them sing or talk while working. There was a punishment for Okies that did not follow the rules, they were insulted, humiliated or in some cases beaten. Farmers were so horrible that they would burn any extra food so that the Okies would leave. “Children of the Okies were also mistreated, they were ignored by teachers and were not given proper care when they went to the local hospitals” (Oklahoma State Digital