The Dust Bowl by Mathilde and Lola
We are happy to show you our exhibit of the exodus of the Okies during the Dust Bowl years. The Dust Bowl started in 1940’s. It was a dust storm and a difficult period for migrant farmers. We report their journey with 8 photographs. They fled from the Dust Bowl to California. They left their farms behind and travelled on Route 66 by car or by foot with their remaining belongings because the drought caused a cessation of agricultural production. On the way, the migrants went across many states and many towns. It was a very long and exhausting trip. When they arrived in California they have nothing and they don’t know what they expect. When they arrived in a slum, it looked awful. They are hopeless. They travelled with all their family. They looked straved because of the lack of food. They are very hungry. That’s why they looked desperate and miserable. Migrants lived in terrible conditions because they were treated like slaves. Farmers are dreaming of making a new life in California, the land of plenty. California represents the symbol of the American dream. Despite the difficulty of slums and their journey migrant farmers are relieve to arrived.