Think back to the images weve looked at

and the selections weve read about

America and the American Dream. Take a
moment and explain what people
generally mean when they say they are
chasing the American Dream.

The American Dream is that dream of a land in

which life should be better and richer and fuller
for everyone, with opportunity for each
according to ability or achievement. It is a dream
of social order in which each man and each
woman shall be able to attain to the fullest
stature of which they are innately capable, and
be recognized by others for what they are,
regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of
birth or position.
-James Truslow Adams The Epic of America

The negative side of the American Dream

comes when people pursue success at any cost,
which in turn destroys the vision and the dream.
- Azar Nafisi
What other factors could destroy the American
Dream? To what extent are these factors in our
control?

 After World War II there was a recession.

As a result, the price of farm crops dropped

(meaning farmers were paid less for their

crops).

Because they were suddenly being paid less

than before for their crops, many farmers

bought more land and farm equipment to try to
produce more crops to sell.

 But, the more farmers worked the land, the

more the soil began to erode.

This erosion, combined with a seven-year

drought turned the formerly fertile land into a

desert-like area known as the Dust Bowl.

Hundreds of thousands of farmers, along with

their families, migrated to California in hopes

of finding a better life.
These people came to be called migrant

workers or Oakies because they migrated to

California for work and many were from
Oklahoma.

For many people, California seemed like the

Promise Land.

However, farmers who left the Dust Bowl for

California did not find fortune. There was a

shortage of work, and very low wages for what
was available. Housing was often a tent or a
poorly constructed shack.

In the 1930s there were 1.3 million people

looking for work in California alone.

Migrant workers typically earned about $2.50

to $3.00 a day.

They were given food and generally given

basic living accommodations.

Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and New

Mexico were the hardest hit by the Dust bowl.

It sure hasnt been easy caring for these boys in

this dust storm. I worry each day that we wont
have food. Some days, well, most days, I feel
like Im failing my boys completely. I worry
about them getting sick from the dust. I worry
that things will never get better. People said
things were better in California, but weve been
here for weeks and there just arent any jobs.
Paul has managed to find work here and there,
but it just isnt enough to provide for the four of
us. People keep talking about this thing called
the American Dream, but in this world, in this
dust right now, it just doesnt seem like a reality.