III. Chapters 18-22: Family Discussion

Part II: Research

Topic: I read an article discussing the lives of migrant workers who migrated from the Plain States, to
California in pursuit of job opportunities.

Summary: This article discussed the lives of migrant workers who had moved from the Plain States to
California to find work. It discussed the challenges the migrants faced and what life for the migrants was like when they were not struggling to find work. This article also discussed how the American economy began to turn around at the start of World War II.

Evaluation: This article related to The Grapes of Wrath because it talked about how migrants suffered from discrimination and struggled to find work in California, similar to how the Joad family had struggled to find work in California through in chapters 18-22.

MLA Citation: Fanslow, Robin A. "The Migrant Experience." Memory.loc.gov. N.p., 6 Apr. 1998. 
     Web. 19 Dec. 2013. <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/afctshtml/tsme.html>. 

Part III: Philosophical Questioning

1. Do you think that conditions and opinions of migrant workers in America have changed over the last century or remained the same?

2. Do migrant workers today, help the U.S. economy more, or damage it?

3. Has the issue of discrimination against migrant workers in the U.S., improved or deteriorated?

Part IV: Discussion

Part V: Reflection

     

     I had my discussion with my dad. The most memorable part of our discussion was when we discussed the second question, about whether migrant workers in the U.S., help the economy more or damage it more. My dad had argued that migrant workers, such as workers from Mexico help the U.S. economy thrive. I also agreed that migrant workers help the U.S. economy thrive because migrants often take jobs that are not desired by most Americans. If more Americans were to take some of the jobs that migrant workers take, they would most likely demand higher wages and corporate factories or businesses that own farms would not be willing to pay that type of money. If businesses decided to hire American workers for higher wages rather than migrant workers for lower wages, it would make more sense to export goods such as farm crops from other countries, where the goods are cheaper rather than paying American workers more. This was the most memorable part of our discussion for me because although I agreed with my dad about the fact that migrant workers catalyze our economy, I did question a lot of what he said. I asked thought provoking questions such as "Is it better to hire migrant workers for lower pay so that they can produce goods that are available to those who can afford it? Or, is it better to hire Americans who cannot even afford some of the goods that are produced by migrant workers?" Overall, I agreed with my dad, that migrant workers help the U.S. economy today, but I enjoyed questioning him and forcing him to think. One thing that I found satisfying about my discussion with my dad was the flow of the discussion. It seemed like we both had a lot to say about the questions I raised, which helped me understand certain issues more. One way I could improve my questions is by making them more distinct. For instance, question one seems quite similar to question two.

II. Chapters 10-17: Family Discussion Reflection

Part II: Research

Topic: I chose to read an article relating to the Dust Bowl Migration.

Summary: The article I read was about the Dust Bowl Migration from the Plains States to California. It talked about the economic and social difficulties that migrants faced in California. Interestingly, the article also talked about how once in California, the migrants were faced with a life almost as difficult as the one they had left, and how may of them gave up farming.

Evaluation: This text relates to the assigned reading because throughout chapters 10-17 in The Grapes of Wrath, the Joads have been migrating to California and worrying about what life will be like once they get there. The article even references a few excerpts from The Grapes of Wrath.             

(Migrant mother, aged thirty-two with seven hungry children, Nipomo, CA ) From: Library of Congress

MLA Citation: 
"Mass Exodus From the Plains." PBS.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. 
     <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/ 
     dustbowl-mass-exodus-plains/>. 

Part III: Philosophical Questioning

1. Why do you think all the migrants from the Plain States migrated west and not east?

2. When migrants from the plain states headed, west, many of them faced discrimination. 

What other events in history or in the present, are similar to this kind of discrimination?

3. Why do you think people in California showed discrimination towards the people migrating there

from the plain states?

Part IV: Discussion

Part V: Reflection
     
     I had my discussion with my mom. The most memorable part of the discussion was when we were discussing
why people from the Plains States chose to migrate west rather than east. For a long time, I had been wondering 
why so many people living in the Plains States chose to migrate to California to farm when in fact, you could 
grow similar crops like cotton, and peaches in the South. When I posed the question to my mom she said that one 
reason people may have moved out west was because the South at the time, was an economically depressed area. 
She also said that people may have chosen to move to California because they had been hearing such wonderful 
things about the opportunities that California had to offer. Her initial response, however, seemed to me the most 
memorable because I had not thought of this being a reason to why people chose to migrate west rather than east. 
Initially, she said that the people living in the plains states were somewhat pioneers. They moved out west for a 
reason. The east was too crowded and they wanted to explore new lands. I found this response fascinating because 
I had not thought about that and the more she explained it, the more I began to think about how that really could have 
been a contributing factor to them moving to California. One thing that was satisfying about my discussion 
with my mom, was that she offered many ideas and answers to my questions that I had not previously thought of. 
I thought that she and I would have very similar answers to my questions, however, I was pleasantly surprised that 
she posed different ideas and thoughts to the discussion. I could improve my questions by making them a little more 
complex. For example, my last one asked why people were discriminatory to the migrants from the Plains States. For 
many, the answer to this question might not be too hard to find. Next time, I will try to makes my questions more 
thought-provoking.

I. Chapters 1-9 Family Discussion Reflection

Part II: Research

Topic: I chose to read an article relating to the Dust Bowl.

Summary: This article discussed the main causes of the Dust Bowl and how people were affected by it. It talked about how the Dust Bowl took place in states like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas due to the over-plowing of land, and severe weather conditions in those states. The article also discussed the role that the U.S. government played in the Dust Bowl and how it prompted a cultural response from authors like John Steinbeck.

Evaluation: This text relates to the assigned reading because it talked about how the Dust Bowl forced many people to move out West, similar to how the Joad family, in chapter 9, was preparing to migrate west. Also, throughout the first 9 chapters, there is a lot of imagery pertaining to dust, so it was interesting to find out the actual reason why there was so much dust.

MLA citation: 

 Foner, Eric, and John A. Garraty, eds. "Dust Bowl." History.com. Houghton 

     Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2013. 

     <http://www.history.com/topics/dust-bowl>. 

Part III: Philosophical Questioning

1. Can you think of other events that were similar to the Dust Bowl? What other events had 

   similar causes and effects to the Dust Bowl?

2. Do you believe that the Dust Bowl truly signified the destruction of the old Jeffersonian ideal of 

   agrarian harmony with nature?

3. Would living under the old Jeffersonian ideal of agrarian harmony be more beneficial to the U.S.

and its people? Would it promote a peaceful way of life or would it have negative effects because our economy would be prone to suffer?

4. In general, do you think that people in the U.S. would trade happiness for money? Or vice versa, (why or why not)

Part IV: Discussion

Part V: Reflection

The most memorable moment of my discussion with my dad, was how he claimed that people in countries that mainly practiced subsistence farming, were generally less happy than people in countries that practice more commercial farming. This sparked a bit of a debate between us because I believe that people in countries that are developing or practice more subsistence farming, generally tend to be happy. It seems like people in the U.S. live a fast-paced life style where they do not stop to take a break and appreciate the simple things in life. I felt like people who practiced subsistence farming, generally are happier with a slower-paced lifestyle where they can appreciate the simplicities of life. However, my dad brought up the point that many people who practice subsistence farming, in China, for example have migrated to the city for work, thus showing they are unsatisfied with their lives. My counter argument was that a lot of the people who migrate to the city do it because they have no other choice, and they need a way to earn money for basic necessities. Anyway, this moment during our discussion was memorable because it sparked an interesting debate. One thing that I was satisfied and surprised about during my discussion with my dad, was that, we were able to maintain a rational tone when we had conflicting views on certain issues. Normally, when he and I disagree on things, we get annoyed and sometimes we bicker, but we were able to maintain a rational discussion, which was nice. One way I could improve my questions is by putting less in one question. I made a lot of questions, that had multiple questions within themselves, so next time when I make my questions, I should be more specific. Lastly, I could improve my questions by relating at least one of them to a theme from "The Grapes of Wrath" and a truth about human behavior in the real world.