“They sensed very quickly the attempt to subjugate and beat them down to low wages and a precarious living.

Their resentment is peculiarly without bitterness. Their desire to get a just return for their work is strong.

A system of migrant self-government began to take form. They called it Functional Democracy. Committees took on Sanitation, Child Welfare, Adult Recreation or Fire Safety. This problem-solving energy was an important factor in keeping and restoring human dignity. It was so successful that when camp people moved to new locations, they set up DFS’s wherever they went.”

Sonora Babb Dustbowl Migrant Camp Activist

On the Dirty Plate Trail: Remembering the Dust Bowl Refugee Camps. U of Texas Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Imprint 2007.