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”