Final answer:
During the Great Depression, specifically in 1936, American migrants experienced severe hardship due to environmental and economic catastrophes.
Step-by-step explanation:
America, 1936. The Great Depression. Soils have eroded. Water sources are drying up. The landscape is desolate. On the move, American migrants flood into California. They are searching for work, desperate to feed their families. They are in survival mode, living in migrant camps under the worst conditions.
They struggle to survive. How will they make it? How will they battle the harsh conditions and the corporations that own the farms?
The Great Depression affected huge segments of the American population, with some groups hit harder than others. African Americans faced discrimination in employment, while rural Americans suffered greatly due to the eight-year drought beginning after the stock market crash, compounded by poor agricultural practices that led to the Dust Bowl.
People from the Great Plains, many referred to as 'Okies', migrated en masse to California's large-scale migrant farms. However, the hopes for better life were often unfulfilled, as these migrants faced maltreatment and fierce competition for few available jobs.
The years 1932 and 1933 marked the worst of the Great Depression. With bank failures, widespread unemployment, and malnutrition-related diseases reemerging, the need for governmental aid programs became evident.
This era saw the creation of new social welfare programs, such as unemployment insurance and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), establishing a more active role for the federal government in providing direct relief and employment opportunities.