The Experience of African and Mexican Americans During World War II
To most Americans, World War II began when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the war, minorities such as African, Japanese, Jewish, and Mexican Americans served in the U.S. Armed Forces and worked to support the war effort. However, many were treated differently because of their race or religion. Two of the most notable groups that faced prejudice includes blacks and Latinos. African and Mexican Americans played a vital role in World War II, both at home and abroad, but often faced discrimination, were regularly taken advantage of, and had to fight for their civil rights. When the war began, millions registered …show more content…
Large numbers of African and Mexican Americans were hired to fill those positions (Doc E). The Bracero Program was a labor agreement between the United States and Mexico that allowed temporary workers, or braceros to work in the U.S. (Doc E). While most braceros worked in agriculture, they were employed in other industries as well (Doc E). Between 1943 and 1945, over 100,000 Mexican workers were hired to work on the railroads (Doc E). They lived in subpar conditions and did not have many things, such as healthcare, recreation, translators, or legal aid (Doc E). However, organizations such as the Philadelphia Regional Committee of Mexican War Workers were created to assist them (Doc E). They helped them learn English, settle contract disagreements, and much more. African and Mexican Americans worked to support the war effort, but Mexicans faced more difficulty in getting basic …show more content…
One of the most violent occurrences of discrimination during WWII happened in the Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles. Many white Americans were not happy about the arrival of Mexican workers (Encyclopedia Britannica). The riots began on June 3, 1943, after a group of sailors said that they had been attacked by a group of Mexican Americans (Encyclopedia Britannica). Then, sailors went to the Mexican American neighborhood and started beating the ones who were wearing zoot suits (Encyclopedia Britannica). Hundreds of Mexican Americans were arrested, and zoot suits were banned (Encyclopedia Britannica). During the war, African Americans protested for their civil rights. The “Double V” campaign was launched to encourage blacks to support the war effort but still fight for civil rights (Doc A). Many war production companies refused to hire African Americans, so a march on Washington D.C. was planned (Doc A). FDR compromised and issued Executive Order 8802, which prohibited the defense industry and the government from discriminating when hiring (Doc A). Although the two groups both faced discrimination, African Americans were more successful in getting equality. During World War II, both African and Mexican Americans helped by either serving in the military or supporting the war effort, but frequently encountered discrimination and struggled for equality. In spite of this, progress was made towards racial
To most Americans, World War II began when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the war, minorities such as African, Japanese, Jewish, and Mexican Americans served in the U.S. Armed Forces and worked to support the war effort. However, many were treated differently because of their race or religion. Two of the most notable groups that faced prejudice includes blacks and Latinos. African and Mexican Americans played a vital role in World War II, both at home and abroad, but often faced discrimination, were regularly taken advantage of, and had to fight for their civil rights. When the war began, millions registered …show more content…
Large numbers of African and Mexican Americans were hired to fill those positions (Doc E). The Bracero Program was a labor agreement between the United States and Mexico that allowed temporary workers, or braceros to work in the U.S. (Doc E). While most braceros worked in agriculture, they were employed in other industries as well (Doc E). Between 1943 and 1945, over 100,000 Mexican workers were hired to work on the railroads (Doc E). They lived in subpar conditions and did not have many things, such as healthcare, recreation, translators, or legal aid (Doc E). However, organizations such as the Philadelphia Regional Committee of Mexican War Workers were created to assist them (Doc E). They helped them learn English, settle contract disagreements, and much more. African and Mexican Americans worked to support the war effort, but Mexicans faced more difficulty in getting basic …show more content…
One of the most violent occurrences of discrimination during WWII happened in the Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles. Many white Americans were not happy about the arrival of Mexican workers (Encyclopedia Britannica). The riots began on June 3, 1943, after a group of sailors said that they had been attacked by a group of Mexican Americans (Encyclopedia Britannica). Then, sailors went to the Mexican American neighborhood and started beating the ones who were wearing zoot suits (Encyclopedia Britannica). Hundreds of Mexican Americans were arrested, and zoot suits were banned (Encyclopedia Britannica). During the war, African Americans protested for their civil rights. The “Double V” campaign was launched to encourage blacks to support the war effort but still fight for civil rights (Doc A). Many war production companies refused to hire African Americans, so a march on Washington D.C. was planned (Doc A). FDR compromised and issued Executive Order 8802, which prohibited the defense industry and the government from discriminating when hiring (Doc A). Although the two groups both faced discrimination, African Americans were more successful in getting equality. During World War II, both African and Mexican Americans helped by either serving in the military or supporting the war effort, but frequently encountered discrimination and struggled for equality. In spite of this, progress was made towards racial