Impact of WWII on Mexican Americans

1. Impact of WWII on Mexican Americans By: Jacob, Carly, Donna, Nick, James

2. Introduction WWII was an era that created many hardships and opportunities for Mexican Americans. The war fueled Mexicans to immigrate to the U.S. but most were jobless until America joined the war. Once they did, most men enlisted and left to fight. Mexican Americans were now left with many jobs to choose from.

3. Hardships -Many Mexican Americans lived in “box car camps,” laborers had little contact with the general population and limited access to the health care, recreation, translators, or legal aid. -After the war, many Mexican migrant workers were required to leave America, but the ones who were U.S. citizens stayed.

4. Hardships Sleepy Lagoon Trial: • 17 Mexican American Youth were unfairly tried by a blatantly racist judge • Eventually was thrown out by a higher court Zoot Suit Riots: • Tensions between Mexican-American and White Americans in Los Angeles erupted into a week long riot • 1943

5. Opportunities • The war caused an intense labor shortage, and this opened many new work opportunities for Mexican-Americans, and helped them gain more options beside the tradition jobs such as agriculture. • During WWII, America was calling for recruits, and many Mexican-Americans signed up to serve the country. • About 350,000 Mexican-Americans served America in WW2. • Many Mexican-Americans earned medals of honor in WW2.

6. Key Terms! • Pachuco: a mexican-american teenager • Zoot Suit: consists of a flat, broad-brimmed felt hat, a long suit coat with large shoulder pads, and baggy pants that flared at the knee • Zoot Suit Riots: Racial clashes in Los Angeles in 1943 between mobs of sailors and marines and mexican american youths who wore zoot suits • Bracero: spanish word for “manual laborer”

7. Thank You