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FSA emergency migratory labor camp, Calipatria, Imperial Valley, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
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FSA emergency migratory labor camp, Calipatria, Imperial Valley, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Calipatria, Imperial Valley. In FSA (Farm Security Administration) emergency migratory labor camp. Left Oklahoma December 11, 1937 with husband and two children and son-in-law. Ex-tenant farmers on third and fourths in cotton. Had fifty dollars when set out. Went to Phoenix, picked cotton and pulled bolls, made eighty cents a day with two people picking bolls. Stayed until school closed. Went to Idaho, picked peas until August, left McCarl with forty dollars " in hand." Went to Cedar City and Parowan, Utah, a distance of 700 miles. Picked peas through September. Went to Hollister, Calipatria. Picked peas through October. Left for Calipatria for early peas which froze. Now receiving FSA food grant and waiting for work to begin. " Back in Oklahoma we was sinkin. You work your head off for a crop and then see it burn up. You live in debts that you can never get out of. This isn t a good life, but I say its a better life than that was."
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Media ID 25333587
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This poignant print captures the harsh reality of life in an FSA emergency migratory labor camp in Calipatria, Imperial Valley, in 1939. The creator, Dorothea Lange, skillfully portrays the struggles faced by a family forced to leave their home and become migrant workers. The caption reveals the heartbreaking journey this family endured. Originally from Oklahoma, they left with little money and traveled extensively in search of work. From Phoenix to Idaho to Utah and finally settling in Hollister, Calipatria, they picked peas for meager wages just to survive. The woman's words echo the desperation felt by many during that era: "Back in Oklahoma we was sinkin". She describes a life filled with backbreaking labor only to see their crops destroyed or drowned in debt. Despite these hardships, she believes that their current situation is still better than what they left behind. Dorothea Lange's photograph captures not only the physical toll but also the emotional weight carried by migrant families during this time. It serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination exhibited by those who were willing to endure immense hardship for even a glimmer of hope. Through her lens, Lange brings attention to the plight of these forgotten individuals and sheds light on an important chapter in American history.
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