Field of Color
“Midterm Analytical Essay”
World War II, for most people, conjures up images of Pearl Harbor, Nazis, and Japanese concentration camps comes to mind; but for those minorities who served in the military in any capacity in WWII, either became the new front line for a different type of war, or a savior from another. African-Americans were faced with brutality and social segregation, meanwhile Native-Americans found a military that respected them and revered them as some of the best fighters in the United States. The 1950s and 60s was a very active time in history for civil rights, some of these rights activities included the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955, and the March on Washington in 1963. Many civil rights movements during the …show more content…
Even though it had been nearly 100 years since the civil war and many of the previous slave owners had since passed on, African-Americans still had to face the bitter reality of social oppression and the aftermath of the Jim Crow Laws. During the early 1900s the US had passed many laws protecting the rights of minorities, especially African-Americans; sadly due to the government structure none of these laws had made their way into the US armed forces. As a result, most of the military was still segregated as late as WWII. Even in places where these units were not segregated the Jim Crow laws were very prevalent resulting in the mistreatment of colored servicemen and women in World War II. There was also still many issues within the US borders that still needed to be resolved. Jim Crow refers to “...the name of the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s.” (Dr. David Pilgrim), and such Jim Crow laws were still prominent within society up in the 1950s and 60s; as a result, this harsh treatment of colored men and women spurred many civil rights issues that remained very prominent for decades to …show more content…
The main goal of this act was to “...provide for the expedited naturalization of noncitizens serving honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces.” (USCIS Pg.1). By definition The Second War Powers Act “exempted noncitizen service members from naturalization requirements related to age, race, residence, any educational tests, fees, filing a declaration of intention, and enemy alien status.” (USCIS Pg.1); this was a far better opportunity for citizenship than through normal methods. Not only did the Native-Americans want citizenship, but they also wanted to serve their country, much the same as many other men did. Because of their high volunteer rate and excellent military performance records Native-Americans soon became the face of many propaganda posters published by the US government. This helped in 1968 when congress passed the Indian Civil Rights Act, and was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson who was in fact a WWII Navy Reserve Vet. The Indian Civil Rights Act, or as it soon became known as the Indian Bill of Rights, guaranteed many of the rights that the Native-Americans civil rights activists had been asking for. Some of these rights include, but are not limited to: the right to free speech, press, and assembly, as well as protection from unreasonable search and seizure, the
“Midterm Analytical Essay”
World War II, for most people, conjures up images of Pearl Harbor, Nazis, and Japanese concentration camps comes to mind; but for those minorities who served in the military in any capacity in WWII, either became the new front line for a different type of war, or a savior from another. African-Americans were faced with brutality and social segregation, meanwhile Native-Americans found a military that respected them and revered them as some of the best fighters in the United States. The 1950s and 60s was a very active time in history for civil rights, some of these rights activities included the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955, and the March on Washington in 1963. Many civil rights movements during the …show more content…
Even though it had been nearly 100 years since the civil war and many of the previous slave owners had since passed on, African-Americans still had to face the bitter reality of social oppression and the aftermath of the Jim Crow Laws. During the early 1900s the US had passed many laws protecting the rights of minorities, especially African-Americans; sadly due to the government structure none of these laws had made their way into the US armed forces. As a result, most of the military was still segregated as late as WWII. Even in places where these units were not segregated the Jim Crow laws were very prevalent resulting in the mistreatment of colored servicemen and women in World War II. There was also still many issues within the US borders that still needed to be resolved. Jim Crow refers to “...the name of the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s.” (Dr. David Pilgrim), and such Jim Crow laws were still prominent within society up in the 1950s and 60s; as a result, this harsh treatment of colored men and women spurred many civil rights issues that remained very prominent for decades to …show more content…
The main goal of this act was to “...provide for the expedited naturalization of noncitizens serving honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces.” (USCIS Pg.1). By definition The Second War Powers Act “exempted noncitizen service members from naturalization requirements related to age, race, residence, any educational tests, fees, filing a declaration of intention, and enemy alien status.” (USCIS Pg.1); this was a far better opportunity for citizenship than through normal methods. Not only did the Native-Americans want citizenship, but they also wanted to serve their country, much the same as many other men did. Because of their high volunteer rate and excellent military performance records Native-Americans soon became the face of many propaganda posters published by the US government. This helped in 1968 when congress passed the Indian Civil Rights Act, and was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson who was in fact a WWII Navy Reserve Vet. The Indian Civil Rights Act, or as it soon became known as the Indian Bill of Rights, guaranteed many of the rights that the Native-Americans civil rights activists had been asking for. Some of these rights include, but are not limited to: the right to free speech, press, and assembly, as well as protection from unreasonable search and seizure, the