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March 1937. "Migratory Mexican field worker's home next to pea field. Imperial Valley, California." 4x5 inch nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size.
I'll second the comment that this is a scene that you can still see today.
The car will be different. The looks on the faces can be the same. There are shacks, still to this day.
The children attend school only sporadically as they migrate with the location of the crops and different picking seasons. It's still a very, very hard life for them.
Today, if you drive the back roads of Imperial and Coachella Valleys, you will see dilapidated trailers and homes that do not look too much improved from this scene.
That little girl peeking out is the real star of this shot. The dark doorway draws you in, and the sweet face child keeps you there. Dorothea had such and eye for composition.
Thanks, Shorpy, for introducing me to her.
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