Okies Have Lice
Surrounding communities resented the newcomers. Some locals assumed that, because Okies were poor, they deserved to be poor -- had brought poverty upon themselves through laziness, ignorance, and "immorality." Too often, Okie children met bias in school. "The better dressed children shout and jeer," a parent told John Steinbeck. "The teachers are quite often impatient with these additions to their duties, and the parents of the 'nice' children do not want to have disease carriers in their schools." After all, everyone just "knew" that "Okies have lice."
—Years of Dust, Albert Marrin
What is the purpose of the title of the sidebar “Okies Have Lice,” based on the sidebar’s text?
It suggests that migrant children really did carry diseases.
It draws attention to the prejudice that migrants faced.
It draws attention to the poor treatment the migrants experienced.
It suggests why some parents did not want their children to attend school with migrants
