Social Impact of World War II

1. Social Impact of World War II Minorities in the United States: 1939-1945

2. Daily Life in the United States during World War II • Pre-World War II Idealism • World War II changed American society dramatically

3. African-American Experience in World War II • Blacks on the Homefront • Patriotic, Supportive of War Effort • Economic Discrimination • Last Hired - First Fired during Depression Years • FDR signed Executive Order 8802 - no discrimination based on race in hiring (applied to Defense jobs)

4. African-Americans in the War • Black Military Participation • Segregated Armed Forces • Separate Units and limited opportunities • Most famous African-American military group of WW 11 = The Tuskegee Airmen

5. The Tuskegee Airmen • Group of Black Pilots - 99th Pursuit “Fighter” Squadron • Trained in Tuskegee, Alabama • Decorated as an escort squadron - fought over Italy. • Col. Paul Adams from Lincoln served as a Tuskegee Airman

6. Segregation in the Military

7. Native American Contributions during World War II • 25,000 Native American joined armed forces • 23,000 worked at Wartime plants and factories • Notable were the Navajo codetalkers (Communicated in the Navajo language) • Japanese military never broke the code • Movie recently: Windtalkers

8. Mexican-American contributions during World War II • Bracero Program - Mexican farm laborers came to the U.S. • 1942-1947 - 200,000 braceros worked • Most lived in barrios • Zoot-Suit Riots (Los Angeles) - Off duty Gis targeted Mexican American youth for styles of clothing (zoot-suits) - 1943

9. Native and Mexican-Americans in WWII

10. Japanese-American Experience during World War II • 110,000 Americans of Japanese descent “interned” at camps in Western United States • Executive Order 9066 by FDR made it official • Japanese legal challenges = Korematsu v. United States (1944) • Ruled in favor of US policy • 1988 - Congress awarded each surviving internee $20,000 • Official U.S. apology

11. An Internment Camp - Manzanar

12. Japanese 442nd Infantry Regiment • Japanese-American combat unit • Stationed in Italy • Most highly decorated unit in US military history • 21 medal of honor recipients • Most of their families were “interned” in the US

13. Japanese-Americans

14. Women in World War II America • At Home… • Many jobs taken in absence of men • “Rosie the Riveter”

15. Women in World War II America • Women in the Armed Services • WACs, WAVEs, SPARs • Served in different non-combat capacities • Mostly nurses, or support staff positions

16. Women and the War Effort

17. World War II Culture Shift