State Historical Society of Iowa

"Why We Come to California," 1940

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This document is a poem written in 1940 by a woman, Flora Robertson, who lived during the dust bowl. Flora left her home and settled in a migrant camp in California.
Courtesy of Library of Congress, Robertson, Flora, "Why We Come to California," 1940

Description

This document is a poem written in 1940 by a woman, Flora Robertson, who lived during the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma. Flora left her home and settled in a migrant camp in California.  

Transcript of "Why We Come to California"

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Describe the conditions Flora Robertson was living in before she decided to leave for California.
  • What does the author say she brought with her to California? Why would she only have those things? What items would you bring if you had to move and why?
  • Listen to Flora's interview about dust storms in Oklahoma. How does this poem help to further illustrate the conditions during the Dust Bowl?

Citation Information 

Robertson, Flora, "Why We Come to California," 1940. Courtesy of Library of Congress