Personal Response: The Okies (Monse)

It was a time of depression for all of us. All the farmers had given up and we were forced off the land because of foreclosure. Growing up in that great land of Oklahoma, it was hard, for me especially, to leave. They called us the “Okies”, and I liked being called that, but for people it was offensive. It was like, if someone else called an Oklahoman that, they would be racist. I was young, yes, but the history is told and I now know. Some farmers went to cities, some headed to the West, and where the others went, I’m not sure. For me it was a journey of three days to the West. Many of us migrated to California because of the known Dust Bowl winds. It began on a Sunday of April 1935. It turned the days into nights. They were weeks of dust winds, and it seemed like an eternity to me. They called it the "Black Sunday". Well, similar dust storms had already hit before, but this one was completely unique.

-I believe this could happen again, but in a different way. It would be harder to migrate to other states since the popularity is a lot more in every state, they could go to a different country. Maybe similar storms could develop, but I don’t think they will be as strong as the Dust Bowl. The “Okies” thing, the name-calling topic is already here. White people are racists with other races, Black people are racists with others. Mexicans are too, so there is like a war between all of us. Similar things are beginning to appear now days. It’s very unfair, and yes it is mostly towards Hispanics. People don’t know if a Hispanic or an African-American will find the cure to some disease and Americans don’t give them chances. I can’t imagine myself living in those times.