"Well, when the cops come in, an’ they come in all a time, that’s how you want ta be. Dumb – don’t know nothin’. Don’ understan’ nothin’. That’s how the cops like us. Don’t hit no cops. That’s jus’ suicide. Be bull-simple."
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 20. Tom learns more about the prejudices migrant workers face in a system weighed against them. Floyd Knowles offers advice to him on how to deal with cops who come into the Hooverville camp. You have to sacrifice your dignity and act stupid and less than human because that’s how cops see migrants. Also don’t fight the cops, Floyd advises.