Exodus!!!

The Christian Science Monitor reported the thoughts of some residents of the New Orleans ninth district after returning to their damaged homes. It is being speculated that many former residents of this poor predominantly black neighborhood may not return to live in their homes. The neighborhood was very tightly knit and many were expecting the residents to return en masse, but much to their surprise a fair amount decided they would not return. The decision of these residents not to return would severely affect the culture of New Orleans.

Nowhere will that be more apparent that here in the Lower Ninth Ward. Originally a cypress swamp, this area is the breeding ground for much of what makes New Orleans famous: its music, food, and Mardi Gras Indians.

The authorities are still contemplating whether to rebuild certain parts of New Orleans, such as this lower ninth ward. This was one of the areas most affected by hurricane Katrina. Some residents fear returning to New Orleans because in some areas the toxicity of the ground is too high. Many also fear, that if the levees are rebuilt, they would have a hard time believing the city is safe.

The current situation in New Orleans is similar to that of the dustbowl of the 1930s. The Southern Plains of the United States was greatly affected by years of drought. The soil in the plains had been overplowed and agriculturally depleted. The ground cover that kept the soil in place was gone. The winds of the plains came and whipped the soil up into the air, sometimes darkening the sky for days. Many of the people from this area left their homes and traveled across the country seeking refuge in other areas. The majority of these migrants made their way to California. Many of them never returned to this homes, but stayed in California in an attempt to make a life for themselves. Mainly, like many of the people of New Orleans, they did not have a home to return to. Also similar to New Orleans is the fact that the migration from the plains culturally changed the area. Before, the land was farmed by small tenant families who depended on it for their livelyhood. After the Dust Bowl, the land was used for large commercial farms.