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WAC’sWAC’s WAVE’sWAVE’s Not allowed to fight Not allowed to fight

in combatin combat

Rosie the RiveterRosie the Riveter Recruitment of Wo

men (video) (video)

To win the war, the To win the war, the United States needed to United States needed to draw on all its draw on all its resources, including its resources, including its peoplepeople

For many groups, this For many groups, this opened up new opened up new opportunities that had opportunities that had not existed before the not existed before the warwar

Prejudices still existed Prejudices still existed for many, howeverfor many, however

Setting the SceneSetting the Scene

Early in the war, Early in the war, defense industries defense industries refused to hire African refused to hire African AmericansAmericans

Phillip A. Randolph, a Phillip A. Randolph, a powerful union leader, powerful union leader, called for an end to called for an end to racial discrimination in racial discrimination in the workplace (by the the workplace (by the government)government)

Despite the need for Despite the need for workers under the workers under the Lend-Lease Act, 1 in 5 Lend-Lease Act, 1 in 5 African Americans still African Americans still found themselves found themselves unemployedunemployed

African AmericansAfrican Americans

June 25June 25thth 1941, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 1941, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802, opening jobs and training programs to all 8802, opening jobs and training programs to all “without discrimination because of race, creed, “without discrimination because of race, creed, color or national origin”color or national origin”

Black/whites blood still separated, black soldiers Black/whites blood still separated, black soldiers put in steerage in bottom of navy ships when put in steerage in bottom of navy ships when moved overseas, not allowed to fight in combat moved overseas, not allowed to fight in combat situationssituations

Many blacks found Europe much Many blacks found Europe much

more accepting of themmore accepting of them

African AmericansAfrican Americans

By 1944, about By 1944, about 17,000 Mexican 17,000 Mexican Americans held jobs Americans held jobs in Los Angeles in Los Angeles shipyards-3 years shipyards-3 years before, none had before, none had worked thereworked there

The Bracero The Bracero ProgramProgram

Many earned Many earned citizenship fighting citizenship fighting in the warin the war

Mexican AmericansMexican Americans

Barrios spring up in Barrios spring up in California/New California/New MexicoMexico

Zoot suiters were Zoot suiters were often the target of often the target of roaming soldiers, roaming soldiers, who saw them as who saw them as looking "un-looking "un-American"American"

Mexican AmericansMexican Americans

In June 1943, a full scale riot ensued-with the victims being arrested

The Army and Navy finally intervened- restrictingGI's off-duty access to L.A.

• Feb 1942, FDR Feb 1942, FDR signed Executive signed Executive Order 9066, Order 9066, authorizing military authorizing military zones to “remove zones to “remove any and all any and all persons” from these persons” from these zoneszones

About 110,000 About 110,000 Japanese-Americans Japanese-Americans were “interned”, or were “interned”, or confined in camps confined in camps in the USin the US

Most lost Most lost businesses and businesses and homes when they homes when they were internedwere interned

Japanese AmericansJapanese Americans

Japanese Americans were denied Japanese Americans were denied entrance into the armed forces until entrance into the armed forces until early 1943early 1943

Soldiers of the all-Japanese 442Soldiers of the all-Japanese 442ndnd Regimental Combat team won more Regimental Combat team won more medals for bravery than any other unit medals for bravery than any other unit in U.S. historyin U.S. history

In early 1945, the Japanese were In early 1945, the Japanese were released from the campsreleased from the camps

In 1988, Congress passed a law In 1988, Congress passed a law awarding each surviving victim a tax awarding each surviving victim a tax free payment of $20,000- a small price free payment of $20,000- a small price for such a large errorfor such a large error

Japanese AmericansJapanese Americans

See videoSee video

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