Unite Minorities

What makes something good? Can any event that involves the mass death of millions of people be considered good? World War II saw the annihilation of millions of Jews, Soviets, and Western Europeans. Numerous countries crumbled under the boots and tank tracks of invading armies as the war touched every inhabited continent and nearly every country on earth. The United States, along with the Soviet Union and Great Britain, defeated a tyrannical dictator and a destructive emperor bent on taking over the world. Despite horror, good can still be found in the darkest of places. Millions of Americans returned home to a country more powerful and inclusive than the one they departed. Factories powering the Allied military machine created thousands of jobs and consequently, reinvigorated the economy. Furthermore, civil rights leaders made historic gains in the quest for equality of all people. Although no war is “good”, the …show more content…
Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians enlisted in droves to serve their country. The military gave minorities training that they normally wouldn’t receive in civilian life. Furthermore, the act of serving in the military entitled the soldier to American citizenship, a perk that dramatically increased volunteer rates for Mexican Americans. Even ethnic Filipinos saw the US military as a chance to defend their country which had been invaded by Japan. The increased patriotism could be best described by essayist E.B. White. He writes, “To be free, in a planetary sense, is to feel that you belong to earth. To be free, in a social sense, is to feel at home in a democratic framework.” White observed the heightened admiration for freedom as a desire to belong to a movement greater than oneself. The military, an organization previously confined to only white males, had become a melting pot of diversity for different cultures around the