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CALIF'OF' 'IA COT'l'O!: CM!FS

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' ~ . \Ill;"' P"F'ERE!-:CE to AVAII.,.A'BILITY ~t U!D i'C~ CARE

By

Dertha s . funderhill

Division of Chl~l!'a.re Servioee

CAl.:F"JR:'I!A S~AT?. DEI AF.T'!F.:"l' u F

Florence L. Turner, Di--SOCIAL ~'EU'ARE

rector

I n conjunot ion ~th D''RF:At' :)~ Cl '!LD HYG!F. 'E, STAT~ DEFART!.T." T OF flTBL!r. ! ;EALTH

Ellen S. Stadtmul ler , M.D ., Chief

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Si nce July, 1936, the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health of the State Depa.rtment of Public Rea.lth ~ conducted heal th conferenees in the migratory labor camps of California. !heae conferences are a part of the health education pro~ of the ~uresu, &Dd are f1naaoe4 in part by t'u.nde allotted under the Social Soau.rity Act. Children are weighed and emmined and mothers t:nstNctecl i n rulea of hygiene aDd given dieta ry advice. lbere meclioal clef~ota ~re foUA4, the f~il7 1a referred to the family ph7aiciaa it \be aail1 hnl oae, or 'o a ~'7 hoepi tal. or clinic if the family 11 eligible tor th1a aervioe. tm.tzations again~ amnllpox, d1phtber1a. and t,pbo1d are ~oyi4ed WbeD requested by the ooun~7 health de~.nts.

Alter tho work hnd atn.rted, t ho ~anu reCI'Leatecl \bnt a wrker from the State Deportmen' of Social Welfnre be lo~.ned to them to nsaiat in det ermining the social ~lfnre needs of t he group and poasible sources of assistance, 1\Ild in determining the availability to the group of those medical servicea which the doctor' examination 1ndionted wer e neoded. Accordingly in October a worker from the Chil d lolfa re StrTices DiTision of the Stnte Depnrtment of Socinl Welfnr~ Joinod the eto.ff. Since at th~t time of the year cotton is the ohiof crop being harTeeted, henlth conf rences were bein! held in the cotton plckerat ClUip&e The following study i ncludes infonl!'ltion obtained n$ fourtJen of w.ch henlth conferences n.t grower-owned camp in Merced, Madoro., nnd :rree o oountioa , in the nei~borhoods of Mndern, Los 1l:moa, Doe Po.lo3, ond JirebnU&}l. It involves hiatories of 132 families, 72 of which .-u-o Mexiollll, 57 1bite, 2 Xegro. nnd 1 American Indian. The aTerage s i ze of the famili es is 6.3 peraons for the Mexicana and 5 for the white families. The aocio.l s tu.dT i ncludes 755 1nd1viduAl of which 418 n.re children under aixteen years of age, The white families average 26 ohildron per fam1~, and t he Mexican families 3.7 children per fam1l7 )(edi onl dntn on 270 Children, mostly under 8 7o~rs of age, 1a included in the study. The !em111os; are not in ~ We selected, but include all those people aeen1 with the azcoption of five fnm111ee whoae histories -.re excluded bec~use they are the famil i es of the camp foremen and nre not truly in the migrntory group.

The Division of Immigration and Housing est imat es roucn17 that there are about 41 grower' labor camps in Made~a County, or a total o! about 1000 cabins. There are also said to be about 116 tents with f l oor s , and three or f our hundred tents without floors. They eetimate that these camps contain 750 to 1000 children. They further

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estimate th?t Fresno County has about 75 camps and Merced Count7 about 2C. Tl h would te a tot

~Aj ~rlty ~f cases the pickers do not earn enougn thr~out the year to

- r~~ide more t han minimum subsistence, and are f ar below the standard 1f 3. 11 hnlth and decency" budget . There is cert ainl7 no margin for , ~ical ~are . The Stat e Relief Adminis t r ation report further pointa '~ t that the i r s tudy shows a definite decrease in the amaunt of time e~ployod pe r iamily fo r t he past five years. The acreage planted to c t ton i s incr easing enormously, but so also i s the number of mi gratory Af'l" icultural lnborer s as they cont i li'le to pour in from other states.

A great major ity of the families i nterviewed come to the cottnn camps in September or October, and stay until February or March, when they mi grate t o the coast for the peas and ot her early vegetables, and then to t he coastal valleys f or the fruit c r op, and inland for the gr ape s and hops .

California's r esidence law requi r es that a p~rson must be in the state three yea r s without receiving n~ r e l ief before he nttRins l egal residence nnd is entitled t o receive r elief, ~r medica l care at the county hospitals and clinics. He should also hAve one year's con- ' t inuous county r esidence . Unless he can fulfil~ these r equirements , emer gency care only cc.n bt given.

Table I, shows the r e sidence data obt c ined. 48, or 84~ of the white f amilies had no State r e sidence . Of the Kex icnn familiea only three l ncked Sta te r e sidence, and a surpri singl~ small group nre 11 St~ te Homeless " , t~~t is, haTing State residence but u~~ble to claim county r esidence anywhere . 82~ of t he Kexiccns have either defi nite county res idence or probable countt r e aidtlnce. Included as having "probable county r es idence" Me those fami lie s who dt) not hnve a year's continuous res idence in any one county but Who hnve spent moa t of the pas t three years i n n certnin count~ and could therefo re ol~im r esidence ther e under a further provis ion of the California l aw.

TABLE I

RESIDENCE or JAMI~IES

1 ! ~it

I I Amer. ' ~ e Wexicn.n I Neco Indinn I Total : I I I I I l No St nte Residence I 48 3 l - I 52

C I

St nt e , but no ~nty Residence I -

~s i 2 10 -

Probnble County R idence 3 26 -t ofini te Residence 4 33 1

I - 12 i I 29 I l 39 I

I

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r ot : 1 ;:. 5? ?2 I 2 1 : -~2 i . I l

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Table II gives the counties in whieh the families interviewed have probable or definite residence. It shows that 76% of them can claim legal res ider.ce in the se counties in which th~ spend the winter wortring in the cot tcr~ .

TABLE II

RESDENCE OF GROUP RAVING A PRO:S.A.BI& OR DEFINITE

COtmTY RESIIZNCE

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!COUNTY

l I

~adera

Fresno

~erced

.1.1os Angeles

Imperial

Riverside

Kern

Sacr8Jilento

Stanislaus . Sa.n Joaquin

~c noma

t)rar.ge

~l.arin

~

Table III gives the length of county residence of the 41 families having a definite place of legal resi dence according tc the law. 54~ of these have QQURty residence of over five years. This shows that part of the population of these so-called "migrator,r labor camps, is fairly stable, and that the camps represent t o a considerable group of children, the only home that they have ever known.

TABLE 111

LENGTH OF COUNTY RESIDENCE OF F.Al4ILIES HAVING

DEFINITE COUNTJ RESIDENCE

COUNTY

FRESOO: Under five years 4 Families Five to ten tears 8 It Ten to fifteen years 2 II Over fifteen years 2 ft

MADERA: Under five years 4 Families Five to ten years 4 "

MERCED: Under five years 4 Fa11ilies Five to ten years 4 ri

SEVEN OTHZR COUNTIES: Under five years 2 Families Fiv, to ten years 3 II Over f ifteen years 4 II

Total 41 Families

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Table IV shoNint; the l ength of time i n the state for those familit~s having no Stat e r esidence, is self-expla.Datory. It shofls thB.t 61% of the familie s in t he group have come to the State within the pa.st yea r and 41% .vi t hilJ. the past six months.

TABLE IV

LEKGTH OF TIWtE IH STATE FOR FAMILIES HAVING NO STATE RESIDEN

Information was obtained also in regard to probable destina..1on of f amilies of the Mexican group. Fifteen were uncertain where t hey v1ere going next or when. Nineteen expected to remain in the cotton crtmps until spring, when they would go to the coast valle7s. Twentyfn t~r of the Mexican families live continuously in the count7 where their :1istory was tn.ken, tmd expect to continue to do so. The reme.ining f ourteen expect to r emain where they are as long as work lasts, and then return to some other county whe r e the7 have their permanent place of r~s:idence.

One of the negro fnmilies and eighteen of the white group .

TABLE VI

RELIEF HISTORY OF FAMILIES

! T ADler. Wexican llhite Nero Indian TotAl.

Families having had relief before coming to California l 28 - - 29

Famili~a having had relief in California 15 14 - 1 30

'

Families having had no r elief 39 14 2 - 55

.~amilies from Whom no

data was obtained 17 4 - - . 21

In sevent een of the Kexican familie s i nformation was obtained as to what grade t he children had reached in school . The information was obtained from the mothers and children, and was not veri fied. On t he bas i s that a chi ld ent ers the first grade at s ix years of age , these forty- one children a re r etar ded from one t o eignt years , with an a~rage of three years r etardation and only one was in the normal grade for his age . The information obtained was probably not entir el y accurat e , but i ndicates that this group of children ar e at a definite disadvantage. They make fr equent changes from school to school . The children in maey eases attended special "migrntory schools . " These are requi red by l aw to run the snme number of hours as the other schools i n the district, but by starting nt eight nnd having short r ecesses , school cnn be dismissed n t 12 :30 so that the children ma.y have the o.fhrnoon free to pick c~tton. The tea chers find that because they nr e over-t i r ed the childr en get very r est l oss and i~~ttentive. In tha wint er they cr~not keep wn.m in their cnbins or tents , and {'.re so in..".dequc.tely fed and clothed t iu. t ~s one of the teacher s expressed it 11 about nll we cnn do is to keep t he s toves going so the children will be ~~rm unt il they ~~ve to go home ago.in. 11 Tho Mexican chil dren also h ve the ndded handic;lp of l ..nguo.~ difficulty.

The t\tonty- five whi te children on ,;hom inforrontion wns ob~~iz:...:d showed l es s ret~rdation. Six wer e i n th.:. normnl grnde , and tho ~-;bcr s .t~ re ret~rdcd f r om one to f our yea r s , \?ith nn n.vcr nge r.:: tr~rdD. i)n ~f 1 1/ 2 yen.r s . These children ~ere nll nmong the group ~~ving t:: : ~ t.o C:-.lif cr nia r..nd the migr {1.tory life f '1.i rly r ecen t l y .

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/ Tables rii, VIII and IX show the medical defect sa present in the 270 children examined. rf th~se children 162 are Mexican, 1':>3 are white, 4 are negro , and 1 is Jmerican Indian. The classification of defe cts has been made chiefly on th~ basis ~~ type ~f care needed, and there is s~me overlapping. It is in n~ sense a medical classification, and is pr~sented f or t he l ayman's underst~ding.

Under 11 c,rr !ctable def'3cts" are included condi tions which will net improve without surgical care , or in the case of dental decay, without dentistry. The classification of ":autrition defect s" is selfexplanatcry. Unde r llinfcctionsll are included those conditions which should have medical care but may improve without such care. 11 Conger.i tal defect s" include tho se present from birth, but which sboul!.d be under periodic medical observation. "Tubercu.l,sis" and 11 Tenereal d1sease11 have been classifi ed separately as requiring special oare and attention Under 11 othe r defects" have been placed those which do not fall readily int o any of the other cl assifications.

Thirteen percent of the white children were without defe.cts, and twenty-three percent of the Mexican children. The lndian child was normal exc~pt for poor dental bTgiene , and all t he negro children had defects

-r the children having no St ate residence ~r no count y residence , seyenteen ~r f ourteen percent had rickets . and sixteen or thirteen per cent had malnutrition. Sixteen percent of t hem needed tonsil

,-- lect omi es urgently, and nineteen percent needed dentis t ry. Eighteen percent of this gr oup were without any defects.

Of the children having definite or probable residence eight percent had riCkets and fifteen percent had malnutrition. Twenty-five percent needed dentistry and eight percent were urgently in need of having their t onsils removed. Twenty percent of these children were without defects .

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TABLE VII

HEALTH DEFECTS .&!dONG 122 CHILDREN HAVING NO RESIDENCE

No State Residence No Qountr Bee1dence Total W)li te Mnca.n ;sego

1'f,h1te Mexican

~RrlECTABLE DEFECTS: Tonsillectomy urgent 16 1 4 21 'l'onsils needing observation 12 1 .. 2 15 Hernia 2 l 3 Strabismus (squint) 1 .. 1 Dental repair needed 14 l l 7 23

Total 45 2 3 11 63 !WTR!TION DEFECTS:

Old ricke.ts, severe 1 ... l .. 2

d !

..Rickets 12 3 15 Mal~trition, eevere l 1 2 Malnutrition 13 14-Underweight 7 l 10

Total 33 l 2 5 43 INJ'EC'l'IONS&

Skin infeehona 4 .. 3 '7 -Respiratory 1nfeet1ona 4 2 2 8 Co17ze. (head oold) 7 2 1 4 14 Draining ear l 1 Pertussis (whooping cou~) 4 ... 4 Scarlet fever 1 1-Diarrhea 2 l 3

Total 23 4 38 r CONGENITAL DEFECTS:

Congenital Hip 1 1 Epilepa7 l

-l 10

. 1 Total 2 .. .,. l:iYGIENE DEFECTS:

Posture 1 1 ... 2 Stained teeth 3 3 Behavior problem 2 ... Constipation l

Total 6 ;:,BE.RCULOSIS:

Tuberculosis contacts 5

-2 1 8

5 Total 5 5

)fHZR DEFECTS: Enlarged cervical glands 3 3 tnlarged inguinal glands 1 ... 1 :erective hearing 1 1 Defective vision requiring

glasses 1 ' l E.;;art 3 1 4 P o s~- i nfantile paralysis,

muscle weakness 1 1 Total 10 1 11

;]_;_pREN WITHOUT DEFECI'S: 13 5 4

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TABLE !III

-a..:::.AL:::H D.d:Y0T6 AMONG 148 CHlL.DBE:N HAVING DEJ'INIT.E oa P.ROBABLi COUNTY RESIDENqE

!::-;;:- ; = = -=-= bJRRECTABLE DEFECTS:

Tonsillectomy urgent

Tonsils needing observation 4 Hernia 1 Strabismus {squint) - ! 1 : 1Obstructed tear duct 1. - : ! 1 Dental repair needed 3 _lO - . 3 21 . 37

Total ? 24 1 - I 6 36 , 74 ~RITION DEFECTS:

.Active ricketa 1 - I 1 l 2

.iickeh 1 0 - ' l 2 ; 10 UalmJ.trition 1' - 7 - I 2 12 ' 22 Underwei~ht 3 - I 1 I 4 Overweight l I 1 .

!otal 17 3 17 ; 39 INFECTIONS: I

Sk n infections 4 4 I 8 RespiratorT infections 1 - l 4 ~ 6 1Coryza (head cold) 9 .. - !

.. 7 16

Draining ear 1 ... ! 2 1 I 4 Pertussis (whooping cough) 3 2 - - I 1 6 112 :rhrush l ... ' I nfected old burn - i l Diarrhea - 1 l

I. 5 i

t Total 3 22 4 24 153 rNGENITAL DR]CTS;

- I Heart - l 1 I 1

, Ptos i s (drooping eyelid) l ! 1 I

r Total 1 - I l 2

GI.El~ DEFECTS: Posture 1 : 1- i Stained teeth l 1 1 1 1

.! 5

Pediculosi s Capita (head lice) 2 ! 2 j Eneures is {bed-wett ing) 1 I 1 , Behavior problem l ; l I Total 2 4 1 1 ! flO ~:..!S.RCULOSIS: I . 1uberculous os teomyelitis of spine 1

Il 1

Possible pulmonar,y tuberculosis 1 1 ! Tuberculosis contacts 2 - I 6 ' 8 i Total 2 8 llO~REAL DISEASE; I 1 Coneenital s1Philis 2 ~ ~

Possible syphilis 2 ; 2

r~., -'t'IT.T' Total 2 2 4

~- ......... ..J.~:..~:.2CTS: Enlarged cervical gl ands 5 ... 3 i 8 Znf-?.ntile paralysis , convalescent 1 :

I

1 .:..:~erdation in development 1 I 1

Total 6 1 3 :10

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"HI'HOUT DEFECTS : 22 1 l 6

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1>os ture ?.Sia ined t t;:u th ,. 8

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fkhavi:>r p r oblem :: :5

I Constlpetion ! t.n;v r es i s (bed-wctt ing) I 1 I'NJicul osis coD Ita (hC'ad 1 ice) 2 2

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9 $ -""'f !8 TUB.t:: RCU..OSIS;

I Tue rcul ou s o:: t eornye l it is of spine l Possibln pul munary tuber culos is I I

Tu>~r cu t osis c?n~acts 5 8 I " l Total s !0

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~evo ral s ignificant facts stand out in t his study:

( 1) A consi d.et .tbie group of neopl e classed &~' nmi gratory11 and l t vi!lg the year round un

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.. No data ~re available that would show to what extent these migrants have become absorbed .in e.griculture .

;

In summary, the folloWing table is append~d to gi~e a survey of the predomi nance of the different nb.tionalities in the migratory leoor population of tha state from 1914 to 1934. Tod~y, the American Ymite r~~ bL scid to constitute roughly 50 per cent vf the labor camp pop,. l, ltion, the Mexican, J2. 5 per cent , the Filipino at least 11 per c: nt, the Japanese and Chinese 6 per cent to 7 per cent . The remaind: r is m~dc up of Italians, Portuguese, Spanish, a.'"!d Hindus . Other groups 11kc the Serbs , Croats, Russians, Al:meniaus, Porto Ricans, !i'inuich, etc . have play~?.d some role in the past. Today, none or thEm const i tutes more than . 5 per cent of t he migratory labor cump population covered by the Commis:Jion of Immigration and Houslng. !n recnnt years, the liegro ulso }1L..s come to play R role. Dnta on bin are as y :") -\, nut availo.blo .

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undefined: undefined_2: I: i: undefined_3: undefined_4: COUNTY: 1: 26I: 3I: 33I: 4I: 1I: DEFINITE COUNTJ HESIDENCE: Total: undefined_5: undefined_6: undefined_7: undefined_8: undefined_9: undefined_10: undefined_11: undefined_12: LEKGTH OF TIME Il STATE FOR FAMILIES HAVING NO STATE RESIDEN: Total 52: SOURCE OF FAMILIES HJVlNG NO STATI RESIDENCE 1: SOURCE OF FAMILIES HJVlNG NO STATI RESIDENCE 2: Mexico: Amaican born: undefined_13: seven re in the groups hnving definite or probable county residence: undefined_14: Mexican: 1 15 39 17: 1: 29 30 55 21: 8: undefined_15: undefined_16: I_2: undefined_17: undefined_18: 2: undefined_19: undefined_20: undefined_21: undefined_22: