010139
DATE: February 23, 1939
LOCATION: Brawley, Imperial Valley, CA
DESCRIPTION: In FSA migratory labor camp. Family, mother, father, and 11 children. Originally from near Mangrum , Oklahoma , where he had been a tenant farmer. Came to California in 1936 after drought. Since then have been traveling from crop to crop in California following the harvest. Six of the children attend school wherever the family stops long enough. Five older children work along with mother and father. Feb. 23 rd , two of the family had been lucky and ‘got a place' (a day's work) in the peas on the Sinclair ranch. Father had earned $1.73 for ten-hour day. Oldest daughter had earned $1.25. From these earnings had to provide their transportation to the fields, 20 miles each way. Mother wants to return to Oklahoma , father unwilling. She says, “I want to go back where we can live happy, live decent, and grow what we eat.” He says, “We can't go fixed the way I am now. We've got nothing in the world to farm with. I made my mistake when I came out here.”