The quotation below is Wikipedia; there are many other similar statements.
Characteristics of migrants
Historian James N. Gregory examined Census Bureau statistics and
other records to learn more about the migrants. Based on a 1939 survey
of occupation by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics of about 116,000
families who arrived in California in the 1930s, he learned that only 43
percent of southwesterners were doing farm work immediately before they
migrated. Nearly one-third of all migrants were professional or
white-collar workers.The poor economy displaced more than just farmers as refugees to
California; many teachers, lawyers, and small business owners moved west
with their families during this time. After the Great Depression ended,
some moved back to their original states. Many others remained where
they had resettled. About one-eighth of California's population is of
Okie heritage.
"Southwesterner" as I showed in a recent post is James N. Gregory's
Politically Correct term for Okies (which would include immigrants from
other south-central states) in AMERICAN EXODUS. Okies were not
southwesterners. I can't find that anyone called them that in the 30s. Look at Newspapers.com for "southwesterner" and mainly you find sports teams. Nor (to look at Gregory's later THE SOUTHERN DIASPORA)
is Arkansas in the Great Plains. Well, Steinbeck never dared to go to
Oklahoma. Why should historians?
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