The work in a packIng shed is generally performed by two types of workersthe itinerant "fruit tramp." who is a highly skilled and experienced worker and travels from job to job. and the "home guard." workers who live in the area and work during the seasonal peak in the packing shed and in other local industries during the off seasons where work is available. The "tramp"-and this is a term of pride. not of opprobrium to the workers involvedhas been the backbone of the industry and has filled the key jobs year after year. In California and Arizona a large proportion of the migrants are from Oklahoma. Arkansas. and other States. who went west and who by their Initiative developed higher skills than those involved in agricultural field labor. The migrants travel at their own expense and usually in family groups. In the lettuce Industry. for example. the man will be employed as a packer and his wife as a trimmer. Frequently they have had difficulty in obtaining proper educational facilities for their children and in securing adequate medical and other community services.
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migrants