The American People on The Homefront. Japanese Americans.

The American People on The Homefront

Japanese Americans

Social Mobility: Benefits and Costs

2 million people move to California; other west coast states grow: “Boomtowns”

6 million people move from farms to cities Housing shortages near war plants; people

forced to live in garages, tents, shacks, hotels, trailers

350,000 teachers join the armed forces or take higher paying jobs leaving school systems understaffed; many students drop out to take war jobs

The war’s impact on culture

Spending on books and movies doubles during the war

60-100 million people a week (out of 135 million) go to the movies

War-oriented films, books, songs: Mr. W’s personal favorite: Tarzan

Triumphs http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=112734

Women and children

6 million new women in the workforce-raises the total to 19 million

75% of new women workers were married, 33% had young children

Women were only seen as “substitutes;” made 65% of the wages of men

Not enough child care: “eight hour orphans,” “latchkey children,” infants locked in cars in parking lots

Divorce rate explodes: 16 in 100 in 1940 to 27 in 100 in 1944; at the same time, the marriage and birth rate go up!

Rosie the Riveter

Teenagers

Full time employment of teenagers grows from 900,000 in 1940 to 2.9 million in 1944

Increasing high school drop-out rate and juvenile delinquency; the first curfew laws established to stop it!

African Americans on the homefront

700,000 African Americans move from the South to the North: more opportunities, less discrimination, more power

Newcomers not welcomed!500,000 new African Americans in Detroit“Bloody Monday” in Detroit, June 1943Whites attack blacks- 25 African Americans killed, 9 whites, 700 injured

African Americans (cont.)

Black leaders call WWII “Civil War II” to end racism at home and Nazi racism abroad: “Double V” is the symbol of the cause

Membership in civil rights groups like NAACP and CORE increase in membership

March on Washington Committee: A. Phillip Randolph demands that FDR end discrimination in the armed services and industry

FDR responds to African Americans

FDR issues Executive Order 8802: outlaws employment discrimination in war industries and the federal government

Fair Employment Practices Commission established

Average wage for blacks: $457 to $1,976 from 1940 to 1945; double the number of African Americans in unions

More optimism, self esteem in black community

African Americans in the war

1 million African Americans serve in the military- most of them in segregated units

761st Tank Battalion and the 99th Pursuit Squadron (Tuskegee Airmen): honored for their bravery

86 Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded to Tuskegee Airmen

Riots and attacks on black soldiers: 50 black soldiers killed by whites during the war on army bases!

Separate blood banks for black and white soldiers, even though black doctor Dr. Charles Drew created the system!

Lt. Jackie Robinson

Refused to take a seat at the back of a bus and fought and won his court martial hearing

“I’m damned if I’m going to let the Alabama version of the Germans kick me around.”

Tuskegee Airmen

Mexican Americans on the homefront

200,000 braceros “temporary workers” brought in from Mexico to work in farming

Short-term contracts with fair wages, medical care, decent living conditions were often violated

Farmers encourage illegal immigration

Many Mexican Americans move to big cities to take factory jobs

Zoot Suit Riots

L.A., June 1943 White sailors beat

Mexican American teenagers; police only arrest Mexican Americans

The wearing of a zoot suit is made a crime

L.A. declared off limits to navy personnel

Native Americans

Homefront 75,000 left reservations to work in defense factories Reservation budgets severely cut by Congress

Battlefront

25,000 served in the armed forces Navajo “codetalkers” used to communicate secret

messages in the Pacific Native American veterans were not given benefits

given to other soldiers

Jewish Americans

Anti-Semitism continued in America

Sale of homes to Jews in certain neighborhoods not allowed

Rigid quotas for Jewish students admitted to colleges

“Gentlemen’s agreements” to keep Jews out of certain professions; jobs ads for Christians only

Some Americans blamed Jews for WWII or thought the Holocaust was justified

Many ignored the first signs of the Holocaust: considered it only a “Jewish problem”