eastern. we live you with a scene in rio de janeiro. fans watch the team. score is 0-0 at the half. on "america tonight", the weekend digs - innocence lost, thousands lost in the cross-boarder debate and what to do. >> it's a painful situation. we are interested in trying to solve the problem. correspondent lori jane gliha brings us an exclusive interview with el salvador's ambassador to the united states, on what his country needs to bring its children home. also - when fate meets being true to self.

>> i thought that for a long time, that it was something to try to deny, something i would be attracted to and comfortable with, would be muslim. >> challenges facing gay muslims, and how the community of faith responds. brazil's hottest export. >> we have an agent, and they see a good player. they offer boots, they offer jerseys, go to the dad and mum and ask "what do you need? do you need a house or a car?" young tall ement, big opportunities. how the next lair may be lured away from a home pitch.

good evening, thank you for joining u i'm julie chen. the terrifying journey of tens of thousands of migrant children desperate to find family in the north lands them in the middle of a cross-border debate. >> in washington officials were working out how to keep them home. and there are questions about how to save them. lori jane gliha has ipp site from the ambassador of el salvador, about the challenges ahead. >> the principal reason they are leaving their countries is the conditions in those countries, they are really bad. it has to be really bad for a parent to want to part company with his or her own 7-year-old. >> reporter: in front of the house committee on homeland security secretary jay johnson laid out a 14 point plan to curb the flow of mying grant children from central america into the

united states. in the past two months 9,000 minorsered illegally. >> i have issued an open letter to the parents of those who are sending their children from central america to the u.s. to highlight the dangers of the journey, and emphasise there are no free passes or per missos at the other end. >> reporter: he pledged to beef up resources and staff to managed children and increased transportation to move them. the department of homeland security is expanding processing and housing facilities. for some members of congress, the plan is coming too late. i don't see the administration doing anything about it other than housing the children. i understand the basis for that. we need to send a signal to the other countries that it will not work. you can't send the children and let them stay. >> if you ask me if i can take app unaccompanied child and take

them to the border and send them back to guatemala, i don't think the law will allow me to do that. >> reporter: u.s. law stops children being deported. they must be tape into custody -- taken into custody and put into a shelter. they make their way to court. >> rehabilitation is okay, let's send them back. it doesn't make sense at all. you send them back to tomorrow, and three days after, or four days, or a week after, they try to enter. el salvador's ambassador told "america tonight", the u.s. suggested chartering planes to send minors back to el salvador. >> what do you think of the idea of a new flight sending children back to el salvador. >> any flight i don't like it. it's something that somebody who tried to come to this country for a better life that fail.

they are the people from my country, right. it is painful. the whole situation of immigration. >> he calls the increase in children crossing the border a revolution, caused by a variety of factors. the entire u.s. immigration system feeds app overhaul. his -- an overhaul. his country, he insists, is working on the issue. >> we try to solve a problem of ipp security and -- u.n. security, and a lack of opportunity. >> el salvador is working to counterthe rumours spread by smugglers, that this is a good time to come to the u.s. what we are going now. people are not going to be recovered by form of the migration system, and the only factor is that if they enter the united states, there's no assurance that they could regularize the situation. >> in a 2013 campaign the

government targeted a few hundred teens, distributing posters like these. the efforts deterred kids. they are hoping to launch a similar programme with a broader impact when they have the funds. in the meantime they are doing what they can to fix a problem spanning several borders. >> what advice would you give to a child thinking of coming to the united states of el salvador. >> i will tell them the truth, this is the law. this is what we tell our people, those are the facts. if you go, up to you. i can't tell you don't go. i only tell the parents, think twice. lori jane gliha with us now. in talking to the ambassador, did you get a feel for what el salvador's position is, in relation to the money this the united states is offering.

>> el salvador is a country that will get aid from the united states - $25 million going to that country over the next five years, to prevent crime. some will go to established youth centers. the ambassador is wondering if it could go to an educational programme. he's anxious for it to cox. he cautioned and said don't expect the problem to be solve because we are getting the money. >> the immediate problem, what to do with the kids, you mentioned flights to bring them home. is this something that will happen quickly. >> it's an idea. i contacted the department of homeland security, they have not got back to me about my questions about what would happen. if they wanted to do it they need the permission of el salvador, and have passports or paperwork to get the kids back into the country. you heard the ambassador, but he said the country would not

oppose this as long as it was carried out under the law that exists to protect children. he had three concerns, making sure that the kids wouldn't reunite with adults, a relative. number two, making sure they are from el salvador, before being september back. you hate to have a kid from honduras september back. >> that has -- sent back. >> that has happened. >> and making sure there's an adult on the other end. nothing is set in stone. there are not flight like this with children going back to el salvador. >> lori jane gliha, following up on this story. >> a different set of challenges faces one of the fastest growing refugee groups ask in the united states. the butanese - rulers of their himalayan nation took a sharp term from their commitment to gross national happiness and forced members of the group out of the country. they have been, in the united

states, growing dramatically and tragically "america tonight"s michael oku found half a world away there's no escaping trouble. >> i felt so bad. that's why i tried to end myself. >> reporter: suicide is not something we associate with this man sad home country, bhutan, a place of limbing epdry -- legendary beauty, a tabled shanka la, a country that assesses the well being of people through gross national hap niece. the growing nap of bhutanees coming to america is anything but happy. what are bute jpees told about the american dream. >> money on the street. >> sidewalks paved with gold. >> yes, and if you work hard, but it takes time and people feel it's too long to get the dream. >> bhutanees refugees in america

have been killing themselves at a rate double the u.s. suicide average. according to the c.d.c. and the department of public health, higher than any other refugee nation, with rates of depression running three times the u.s. national average. >> it's tragic, an epidemic. the root of the problem go back to bhutan itself. until the early 1990s, they lived there happily. >> we had a good harmony within the groups. >> that harmony was destroyed when the former king mapp dated a show called one nation, one people policy. effectively a system for ethnic cleansing, a sixth of the pop u lights, more than 100,000 bute jpees, families that had been there for yerpations were -- generations that were brutalized. >> what was it like in the refugee camp?

>> there was no hope, no future. there's no identity. i'm one of the survivors. >> there were more than 20,000 nepali-speaking bhutanees suffering in bute niece camp in nepal. the majority immigrated to the united states. they are one of the fastest growing refugee groups in america. almost 76,000 have arrived since 2008. that year, this man and his family were resettled and portland oregon. today, as a ceremonial welcome we were served a traditional goat meat lump in his home. is it rude in your culture to sniff the food? >> no. >> the goal is six, to make sure no refugees in portland commit suicide on his watch. >> he is a case manager for

lutheran community services, and handles bute niece refugees in portland. >> what is the typical challenge that a bhutanees refugee faces coming to the united states? >> one is language. life - it's a dependencdependen. >> reporter: the culture clash has been apparent to the local high school assist english as a second language teacher. >> the kids' culture shock was complete. when you are in shock, you can't learn anything. they didn't have electricity, computers. they needed help just living in the modern world, and this was the go-to guy. >> reporter: it's 8:00 pm, and sam's ooeping is beginning,

another group of bhutanees refugees is arriving. they are exhausted. a family of five arriving at the airport. several lopping flights and a world away from kathmandu, the sakai of tarmacs and terminals is the first of many first to come. >> are they excited, nervous. >> very scared. >> reporter: they are stared. sam hand out there 100 seed money. the family will receive that among many federal funds. after 22 years living as refugees in camps in nepal, the family brought one small bag. they say what they will miss most from the camp are their friends. >> so the people they tell me that life in america would be good. it will be good for the kids.

>> reporter: they are introduced to a sponsor, neighbours and a 2-bedroom apartment, provided and paid for by u.s. taxpayers for up to an 8 month grace period. they'll have to pay a $5,000 travel loan they received from the international organization for migration, within six months. they have never seep -- seen a washing machine, or running water. they were living in a thatched hut with no electricity, where water was available in a drum. sam instruct the family how to use and flush a toilet, operate the shower and borrow a phone to dial 911 in an emergency.

>> this couple have been in america less that 14 hours, but are running a tab. >> the husband and father is expected to find work immediately. they sign up to receive food stamps, english classes and medical screening, and an assessment of mental health. >> we have to pay and if i work i will pay. >> reporter: sam gives them an important telephone number. the suicide prevention hot line. for this man, we'll call him kumar, having someone he could call was the difference between life and death. >> i got a call that he was suicidal, he wanted to die. he doesn't understand the bills

or this culture, and it's hard for him to assimilate. >> reporter: kamal attempted suicide four files in the refugee camp in nepal. a husband and father of four, he has not worked since. >> i felt no peace. it was bad, bad, bad life much. >> in 2012, within the first three months of his life in america, he told his wife he planned to happening himself. she called sam for help. >> how close was he to taking his life. >> almost. almost. almost did. >> almost there. >> sam tells us the refugees are tempted to cocoon nms in a new home, which can lead to isolation and depression. that's why he draws men and women of every age into the larger community almost immediately.

bhutan is an agricultural company. a day and a half later, sam introduces them to a plot of land, work the soil, and introduces them to planting and weeding - putting down roots. it's the first time we see them visibly relax. >> this woman is comfortable speaking out loud - the little english she knows. >> it is happy. >> they said solving the problem is previously around. that makes them a little better. that's one of the goal we are working for. >> sam is now a u.s. citizen. his family bought a small house together for everyone to share. by many measures, his is a success story. he says he'll return to bhutan,

if he could. weekly ceremonies keep the traditional hindu culture alive, and a fragile community within reach of each other. newcombers are welcome. it's a little bit of buton in america. for the family, a bit of shanka la in the -- shaping ra la in the american dream. >> after the break here, at a lose, the lifeblood of a community dried up. what it means to live in a bank desert, and why one financial disaster creates another.

>> are they working? >> this time i'm gonna fight it. >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america >> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass >> after the break here, at a lose, the lifeblood of a community dried up. what it means to live in a bank desert, and why one financial disaster creates another. >> if you want free press in the new democracy, let the journalists live.

community dried up. real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> khaled hosseini author of the best selling novel "the kite runner"

talks about his hopes for his homeland. >> no change will come to afghanistan unless it's initiated by the afghan's themselves... >> and the inspiration for his latest novel. >> the idea for the book came from painful acts of sacrifice. >> every saturday join us for exclusive, revealing, and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time. >> talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america nation wide nearly 2,000 bank branches shut since the depression. the mississippi delta has miles of land without a bank brampg. the bank desert leaves resident without options, and many turp to pawn shops and pay-day lending. as sara hoy reports, it's trapping them in a cycle of debt. >> reporter: greenville mississippi, the heart and soul

of the delta is rich in history, like the river it sits on. when i was a little girl you walked down the street and there would be a store, the whole block would be full of stores, full of people. we had a factory on every corner. we have none now. if you going to washington avenue, you would think the town is deserted. >> linda was born and raised here. factory after factory went down the river. the recession the time blow. >> they are all gone. the people here are gone. >> in several cities across mississippi. residents struggle to find goods and services, including banks. instead of grocery stores or banks nearby, pay day lenders pepper the streets.

those living check to check rely on additional costs. many of us cannot afford to ipp her it what comes with these places. >> when you go outside a traditional bank, the fees you incur are quite significant. >> in the past five years, more than 1800 bank branches closed, with 93% in low income neighbourhoods. overall, more than 68 million americans live in bank deserts, defined by the u.s. postal service as kupties with one -- communities with one bank or less. a working mother with three, that mament fewer options. >> i wanted my own home, i had worked so long for 20 to 25 years. i worked in greenville mississippi, doing every job

that was capable for me to do. >> white said the bank told her she couldn't afford a mortgage. >> it was frustrating. i had my open money, i wasn't destitute. i had money and been a member of a bank over 10 years. when you put your money in a bank over 10 years, you expect them to give you a loan for a home that you really need and you know they'll get their money back. but they never did. >> ladies, how are you going. >> bill, c.e.o. of home credit union headquartered in jackson is working to fill a void left by it big banks. >> the largest banks in the country and region shut down branches, not because they weren't profitable, but not profitable enough for the business model.

hope, opened and managed by customers, opened in 1994 inside a church base. the mission - improve lies in a depressed region. >> we think the people and places are apparent. we have been able to go in and meet the needs and stables the communities. >> leading the nation in poverty, mississippi faces a difficult battle. >> i would line, in the counter state of our neighbourhoods to the modern day bread line, you have disinvestment, the broken voipd syndrome, where there's a broken window because someone moved out, abandoned dogs running around, overgrown weeds and you see the life of the neighbourhood zapped out. people who have choices will move out. people who have the least amount of choices will stay.

>> reporter: with 30,000 members, and $200 million in assets, they are trying to reverse the trend through hope, in the mid south. >> it's hard to avoid the connection between race and poverty, and if the country becomes more diverse, it's more important that we take steps to address the issues, and we believe that actions to capital, financial services is an important piece of the puddle. >> reporter: how much were you in the hole? >> 2800. >> reporter: like other americans struggling with debt, for gloria, a native of jackson mississippi, trouble started with a single traction. >> in the end i went to a pay day, i had to get money there, then to another to keep up with the payments from the first, and it was like a cycle that kept going and going and going. >> reporter: how bad did it get?

>> it got bad i felt i was working for a pay day loan, instead of paying wells. >> i had to pay the pay day loan first, and then the bill. >> warner juggled eight loans frommate different lenders. >> i came in, looked at the check. i did all the pay day loan, and after i did it, i couldn't go. >> what was left? >> $20. >> $20. >> $20. >> warner turned to hope for help and has paid off her pay day loop debt. >> if hope hadn't came in, i'd do the same ritual thing, and even though they say they yfr you a way out, i couldn't see it. >> we are on the interstate in a sleepy town. >> when they made a corporate decision to leave, the town was in disarray.

we didn't know what we were going to do without having to travel over 30, 40, 50 miles to a financial institution. >> jessie killingworth is the former major of o town with a population of 850. when the only bank left town for good. the credit union stepped in. >> how have things changed? >> when i came to utika it was a hustle and bustle town. we had dentists, hardware stores, doctor's officers. a lot of things have changed, really. >> why is it important for a city like ut irkts ca to have a financial institution, a bank in the city. >> i like to make a xorn just like fertiliser is to the farmer to make the plants grow, a financial institution does the same thing for the community. it provide the grief that keeps the community together, and keeps it a well-oiled machine.

>> killingworth says the hope model is working. >> when i talked about hope, i felt that the credit yun yop belongs to its members. i feel like i'm vested in the credit union. >> it's the people's banks much. >> the people's bank. the people of utica. >> hope was my last hope. >> after a deng aid of -- decade of waiting white was able to move into her dream home. whether in jackson, utika or greenville, recovering will take time. it's the people here that hold the key to the future. >> i just would like to see people live the kind of life that we lived in greenville a long time ago. >> so you have hope. >> i have hope. and looking ahead on "america tonight" - a brim to

nowhere. >> my world view now comes with the assumes that things will fall dawn. redirecting life after an unstable nightmare. a survivor tells her story as "america tonight" investigates how to bridge the gap in a crumbling america. that report this week on "america tonight". coming up next in this hour - going for the goal and coming up short. how brazil's football factory turns out the world's great, and how the ge. galectico might be stolen away. journey >> experience al jazeera america's critically acclaimed original series from the beginning >> experiencing it has changed me completely >> follow the journey as six americans face the immigration debate up close and personal. >> it's heartbreaking... >> i'm the enemy... >> i'm really pissed off... >> all of these people shouldn't be dead...

>> it's insane... >> the borderland marathon only at al jazeera america

as world cup heads into the knockout rounds, we consider a dream shared by millions of soccer players in brazil. where playing soccer professionally is more than a dream, it's an industry. more than 10,000 brazilians are

playing abroad. but in a country where millions live in poverty, what are the options for those that don't make it. a report on the pressures and profits driving the country's love affair with soccer. >> reporter: in brazil soccer is more than a game. it's in the blood, a part of culture. in the 80-year history of the f.i.f.a. world cup, brazil has won more titles than any other country. ask anyone here how many times brazil won the world cup, and the answer is on the tip of the tongue. three led by paila, and brazil the only country to qualify for every tournament in history. in a suburb of rio de janeiro, they are sampling for the next pele. >> translation: for every 10 kids in brazil, 11 want to be a

professional soccer player. it's cultural, it's in their blood. you don't leave the hospital in normal clothes, they leave in a club jersey. 30% of these kids will play professionally at a high level. the others will find somewhere around the world to play. >> reporter: ronaldo had a chance at stardom. an injury cut short his career. >> it was the dream of my life. i got to the level before professional. i had issues with my ligaments and in a poor family there's no way to pay for an operation. . >> reporter: rncht this man lived his whole life management neighbourhood and sees soccer as -- whole life in this neighbourhood. he saw this as a life for his son. >> i had to work since age 11.

i couldn't do what i wanted. i had a chance, but it's their turn. >> reporter: his dream is with kags. >> i tell them if they are below a certain grade they are banned. or if they don't go pro, they need something else to poor back from. when kids from the poor neighbourhoodserb lots of money, they have to deep the feet on -- keep the feet on the ground. that's what the family is far. >> they may be small, but the proteges are on the way to going pro. many have been selected with continuing training with an elite soccer club. kids play here at age 7 and sign contract as early as in my opinion years old. >> by the age of in my opinion we are educating them -- of nine

we ared ou kating them how -- we are educating them on how to eat, discipline and focussing on their life. sometimes the players, 18 and 19 are head of the family and pay the bills. >> reporter: that's a lot of pressure. >> too much. that is why most don't make it. they are burnt out when 18 or 19. instead of looking to collect trophies or a lopping career -- long career, they look for the money, because they need to help the parent. there's a lot of pressure from the families. granddad, sister, everyone is focussed on their career. >> reporter: if a kid doesn't burn out from training, there's extra pressure. soccer is a multibillion business. these kids are a cash machine.

>> how do you explain the business of soccer to a child coming in to play. >> the first year of contract, 16, you have agent, parents looking for agents and agents all around the game looking. they see a good plaur, they offer first -- player, they offer first. they offer boots. then they offer jerseys from sponsorships, and then they offer - they go to the dad and mum and ask "what do you need? do you need a house? do you need a car?" and they buy off the parent. it's difficult for the kid because he has other decisions but he's taking car of his mum and dad. now the ate is looking for -- agent is looking for him for a better contact. sometimes you lose the development of the player because it's a business that's grown so big that you are developing the player, but the agent already looking for a club

where he can go to to profit. >> reporter: like coffee and sugar, soccer is an exportable commodity for brazil. over 10,000 brazilians are playing professionally around the world. exporting the talent has come at a cost. >> translation: the businessmen come more every day looking for younger players and trying to get the kids to play there because the price is lower. today the path is the wrong path. the kids should play in brazil. what is hatching is the op -- happening is the opposite. the businessman is looking for a younger player, and taking them. they are creating a type of slavery. >> reporter: what is it like when you lose a player? >> it's frustrating. most of the police headquarters are not ready to go. they are hungry to play, they

leave. it's not a good example for the particulars that stay. it's jeopardizing the quality of our game. >> reporter: these young players may not know it, but they are part of a legacy, carrying the dreams. a nation op their shoulders. if they don't make it, the next is out there, with the industry trying to find him. after the black on "america tonight", speaking out - stories of faith and fear. forward on being gay and muslim in america.

>> now inroducing, the new al jazeea america mobile news app. get our exclusive in depth, reporting when you want it. a global perspective wherever you are. the major headlines in context. mashable says... you'll never miss the latest news >> they will continue looking for suvivors... >> the potential for energy production is huge... >> no noise, no clutter, just real reporting. the new al jazeera america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now

a landmark federal appeals court ruling is hailed by gay rite advocates, utah's ban an same-sex marriage found unconstitutional. the conversation about gay rights is growing in a

traditional community. the islamic faith froups upon homosexuality, and for young gay muslims, it's a challenge. we have this report. [ ♪ music ] . >> translation: in islam being gay is an unspeakable crime. omar made a film of his story, he wants a voice. >> first and foremost i'm gay, a person of colour and raised muslim. >> reporter: he was born in seattle in a close-knit family. >> every parent wants to believe in their kid, the best is straight career driven. >> reporter: he tried to be that mann. at university he dated girls and

parade. >> at the university i attended meetings, and parade on fridays. >> reporter: in secret he dated men. he felt he had to step away from his religion, he can't reconcile being gay and muslim. >> i did try to divorce pies from islam because i was gay, i was raised believing being gay is not okay. >> reporter: it's only when he came to new york at 25 that he realised he was not alone. >> it is a place where no matter who you are, what you are doing, everyone gives you a reason to live without issue or judgment. when i moved here, i felt the spirit. >> at 30, though he has not come out to his family, he lives his life openly, and thinks they know he's gay. >> in the last five years, i've been more brazen about certain

details. on social media and facebook i let pictures go on that could be perceived as gay. my family cap see that. >> reporter: this woman has always known she is a lesbian. she was estranged from her family. she was abused as a child and fled. she found support in her gay community and faith in fork. >> someone said to me that being muslim and gay was impossible or they couldn't go together. >> i would - i would ask them why they thought that. reconciling my islamic faith and sexuality was natural. i believed this idea that allah had created people in the best forms, and that allah loves his creations. >> it's estimated there are between four and 7 million

muslims in the united states. there are no statistics for how many are gay. acceptance is a difficult dream within the larger community. american muslim leaders recognise that times are changing. understanding how to adapt with them is not easy. the imjm at new york's largest mosque says the doors are always open. >> they are a part of the community. they are the people. they cap come to the mosque. >> even as he welcomes the individual, he relateshomo sexuality. >> homosexuality is considered to be contradicting the system. >> reporter: the system of the family. >> the system of islam. it is difficult for me to say that someone was born gay. >> with such mixed messaging, gay muslims are negotiating a

difficult line between secrecy and openness. >> being muslim, it's not safe to be gay. so if you're not there yet with your surroundings to be open and feel like your life is safe, i would not tell a 16-year-old to just come out of the closet just like that. >> i would like to see a muslim community galvanise along a radical politics to do more grassroots movement building, to say "we want our spaces to be safer." . >> reporter: she dreams of telling her mother who she is, but it's a different dream. >> i realise that you are restrained from your family. can you imagine a time it will not be the case? >> i hope the estrangement is not permanent, and i will be able to develop a relationship

again with my mother and siblings. and you believe that she would be happy to see you loved. >> yes. i think so. why would she begrum me that? -- begrudge me that. i'm happy. i'm settled and living my life and am happy. i think that would mean a lot to her. i hope it would. omar is closer to telling his parents. [ ♪ music ] >> we are very much almost there. i do need to take the final leap and just do it. where they can have a good conversation with me about it.

or it's not angry or dramatic. >> he has created a new life, but yarps for parts of the -- yarps for parts of the culture he rejected. ironically his boyfriend is muslimism. >> i fought that, that someone i was most attracted to would be muslim. >> reporter: he hopes one day the two worlds can mesh. >> i respect a lot of the faith. it's community. for me to divorce mooz from that is very -- myself from that is hard. i care about the people. >> while omar is thinking about coming out to his family, his based will not show his face on camera. for many being gay and muslim in america means a life in the shadows. ahead in our final thoughts.

the mother road and journey to redemption. 75 years after the groups of wrath, has the landscape changed for migrant formworkers. little architects in action >> one of natures mysteries solved... >> i don't think it's a spider or mite >> in the amazon rainforest >> we're gonna try to get one in the act of actually making the structure >> tech know, every saturday go where science meets humanity. >> this is some of the best driving i've every done, even though i can't see. >> tech know. >> we're here in the vortex. only on al jazeera america.

al jazeera america. we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. >> we pursue that story beyond the headline, pass the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capital. >> we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. >> and follow it no matter where it leads - all the way to you. al jazeera america, take a new look at news.

finally this hour the anniversary of a classic and a suggestion for your summer reading lift. john stipe back's -- steinbach's novel "the grapes of wrath", the promise land and the bitter reality of farm work upped the sun. melis

melissa chan went to the camp where the novel was modelled on, california. midway through the novel "the grapes of wrath", there's a moment where the family saw the valley for the first type. the sun came um, and they saw a -- came up, and they saw the valley below - the vip yards, orchards -- vip yards, arch -- vip yards, orchards, and the green. california, the promise land. it seemed that way to this migrant too. >> we were in oklahoma, where we came from, we were starving to death. we were hungry, not starving. >> they showed up, poor and desperate, and lived in camps established by the government. and it was here in arbo, in that

steinbach placed the jobe family, the camp preserved and placed on the register of historic places. wc stamps lived here for 16 years. >> so this is my brother and my dad and oldest brother. >> reporter: a well digger, his father was driven out of business by the dust storms. he joint the migration west and found work in the fields. >> after school was out we'd work in season. my mother was great with her hands, quick. she'd pack peach es, grapes, plums, and she cut potato, seed potato, they don't do that. >> reporter: camp life was ipp sular, the new -- insular, the newcombers kept to themselves and married among themselves. wc stamps met his wife at camp. >> poverty, we don't know what that is.

etch here is the same -- everywhere here is the same. you get out of the fenced area - we never d did, other are than to go to work. we had one metal can, could be a campbell soup. everywhere drank out of the same cam. >> calve jans called them okayies. stipe beck's novel highlighted the plight plightation and a tough journey. >> hollywood adapted the novel into a film starring henry fopda. >> movie reel: what is this. >> nop of your business. >> how many me? >> reporter: the scoops of poverty and the camps shocked americans and revealed another side of california most had not known. rooel rool house 63, $0.05 a box.

no bruised fruit. >> reporter: this is the kind of vehicle that american migrants in the 30s and 40s would drive to california. families were bigger and as many as 8-10 people would happening on, sitting on top of the roof of the car. today migrants come from the south, and mostly from mexico. 75 years after his novel, the camp that ipp shired steinbech stands, next to the historical site. other than a few times when it closed for renovation, it was in good condition. living conditions improved since the 1930s, and the camp is one of most affordable and attractive opses for workers. this man brings his family here every season. >> translation: i come in the last days of april and return to

texas. i come to work because the salary here is higher. we have six months of work here. >> reporter: he says camp life is such but good. the migrants now the story of the ordinarily. >> now there are more stories in the peeled. hep. >> reporter: some sings have not changed, farm work is tough. stipe back's novel not april shept history, but the message relevant. >> the most difficult job is working op your knos. >> reporter: the central valley is one of the boarest parts of the country. moan okayies have moved on to a better life beyond the camp gates. >> the story as told by stein beck red by millions of

students, one of the major works of american literature. the new migrants come with a calf yn dream -- californian dream. one that lpingers on -- lingers on. that's it for us here on "america tonight." join us next time for a look at the bridge to nowhere, and a need to fix what connects a driven america, is the foundation of our bridges fit to withstabbed heavy -- withstand heavy lifting. adam may reports in on ongoing series. remember if you would like to comment on any stories, you can log tonne the website. aljazeera.com - join the conversation on twitter or at our facebook page. goodnight. more of "america tonight" tomorrow.

withstabbed heavy -- withstand more of "america tonight" this is al jazeera america. i'm richelle carey and new york with a look at the top stories. rebels fighters in iraq say they have declared an islamic state in part of the iraq and syria. u.s. rail launches a -- israel launches a series of air strikes in retaliation for a rocket attack by plibian -- palestinian fighters. president obama asks for $2 billion to helped border control. wa> and a way to fight the new