Why did okies migrate to California during the great depression and what happened to them?

Answer 1

The dust bowl winds began in 1932 but the Dust Bowl got its name from the horrendous winds beginning in 1935. The primary area it effected was the southern Plains. The northern Plains were not hit so badly but the drought, the blowing dust, and the decline of agriculture in the region had a nationwide effect. The wind "turned day into night" and was so strong it picked up the topsoil on the ground and blew it away in large clouds of dust. The cause of the soil blowing away was poor farming techniques that ruined the topsoil. The displaced farmers were forced to look for work elsewhere and became the migrants described in John Steinbeck's, Grapes of Wrath. Families from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada and Arkansas, packed what they could in cars and trucks and headed west. Most were aiming for California where they would become a class of migrant farmers, following the crops during the harvesting season.

Answer 2

They moved there because they belived that there were jobs. This was during the Dust Bowl and they were unable to grow any crops in Oklahoma and other areas. Once they got there they were lucky to get a job and often the wages were extremely low and unfair. A great story about a family living this situation is the Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck