World War II The Home Front

New Opportunities WWII stirred economic recovery at home American industry turned quickly to help the military efforts Industry used mostly men, giving women the opportunity for work Government & industry launched huge campaign urging women to “do their part” to support the war.

Women Find Work Wartime pressures created new opportunities from women in the work place – Many women found jobs, especially in heavy industry – Many women continued to work after getting married – ¾ of women working were married – 60% of women were older than 35 – Women worked in blue-collar and white-collar jobs – Factory owners expected women to give up jobs when men returned home from the war – White-collar jobs did not offer those expectations – 1940s- women in secretarial & clerical work increased fivefold

Rosie the Riveter

Women Contd. Benefits Gained: – Earned paychecks – Formed new & different relationships – Gained organizational leadership Women gained confidence & created opportunities for their daughters in the future Children’s lives changed as well Fed govt. spent $50million building day-care centers 130,000 children in day-care Many women preferred leaving children with families & friends

African American Workers Blacks hoped war would create job opportunities – Few found meaningful employment 100,000 workers in aircraft industry – 240 were blacks “Double V” Campaign – Victory against fascism abroad & discrimination at home – A. Philip Randolph: Black labor leader Blacks would no longer accept second-class citizenship Presented Roosevelt with list of demands – End discriminatory practices in govt funded training, employment, & military Organized massive protest march on Washington D.C.

Black Workers Contd. FDR hoped to keep civil rights on hold during WWII – Randolph persisted – FDR feared that protest would undermine wartime unity Executive Order 8802 – Assured fair hiring practices in govt funded jobs – Established Fair Employment Practices Committee to enforce Order Civil Rights victories encouraged blacks to join equal rights organizations – NAACP- grew to 50,000 members – 1942: Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) formed Sought to apply non-violent protests to fight segregation – Wartime developments set agenda for civil rights movement

Workers on the Move Wartime needs encourage migration California gained 2 million residents – Workers looking in shipyards & wartime industries South lost residents in rural areas, but grew overall Detroit, Gary, Chicago, & Cleveland boomed

Shifting Populations South received billions of dollars to fund industry – S & SW became growing cultural, social, economic, & political force Bracero Program – Established to alleviate rural pop drain – Brought laborers from Mexico to work on American farms – Several hundred thousand braceros migrated to U.S. – Faced discrimination – Contributed greatly to war efforts – Program initiated decades of migratory labor in West

Migration & Conflict 1943: Migration led to racial violence – Detroit was the worst; construction of housing for black workers – 100,000 whites & blacks broke out into fights at city park – 34 people killed in full-scale riots – Fed troops used to end riots, no real solution to problems found Mexican Americans – Very few spoke English – Los Angeles- Mexican/Mexican Americans dressed in “zoot suites” – June 1943: off duty sailors attack “zooters” – After riots, “zooters” were arrested, not attackers – Committee formed to investigate cause – Lack of sufficient recreation blamed, racial tensions were real reason

Civil Liberties Are Challenged Pearl Harbor attack caused fear in America Fed govt began drafting of immigrants & aliens from the Axis nations Resident “enemy aliens” required to register w/ the government, fingerprint, & list organizational affiliations

Alien Restrictions German, Italian, Japanese aliens subject to arrest or deportation if national threat was perceived 11,000 Germans & hundreds of Italians held in camps Federal orders forced all 3 to vacate West Coast in 1942 Germans/Italians removed from list once fear subsided Feb 1942, Executive Order 9066 issued – Certain areas designated as war zones – People removed for any reason – Sep 100,000+ Japanese removed from West Coast – Forced to sell property at loss & take necessary items

Why Different Treatment of Japanese? Several Factors in play: – Racism – Smaller number of Japanese – Lack of political clout – Isolation from other Americans Japanese in Hawaii escaped treatment – Comprised 1/3 of state population

Japanese Internment Internment: Temporary imprisonment of members of a specific group States outside of CA objected to removal of Japanese – Did not want to become “dumping ground for enemy aliens” Japanese men, women, children transported to camps – Camps were isolated – Poston, Arizona & Gila River Indian Reservation – 1 room shacks for families – Bunkhouses for single people – Schools underfunded – Food shortages – Substandard medical care

Internment Contd. 1944: Korematsu v. U.S. – Japanese Americans fought for rights – Wartime internment policy upheld by Supreme Court 1988: Govt issues apology, pays $20,000 to survivors Japanese not accepted into military 1943: Govt lifted military ban – Many Japanese eagerly joined – 442 nd Regimental Combat Team All Nisei members Fought in Italian Campaign Most decorated unit in Military History Helped counter notion that Japanese Americans were not loyal

Supporting the War Effort War cost Americans $330 billion – Double total fed expenditures since founding nation National debt $42 billion to $269 billion in 6 years 5% tax on all working Americans Millions of Americans bought war bonds “every dollar spent on war bonds meant another bullet or bomb and another step closer to victory”

Govt. Manages Economy Increase production of war goods = shortage of consumer products – Caused fear that inflation would become huge problem Office of Price Administration created – Had authority to control wages & set maximum prices – Rationing: coupons issued limiting amounts of certain goods Butter & tires – Ensured that raw materials (oil & rubber) used for war production Most Americans accepted this system

Economy Contd. Some Americans resented the restrictions Profiteers manipulated ration system, creating “black market” – Illegal underground network for sale of restricted goods Workers accused employers of unfair practices – Govt restricted job mobility to ensure constant production – Wages lagged behind rising prices & profits Powerful industrial network created that contributed to victory

Media Boosts Morale Office of War information (OWI) – Worked with media to encourage support of war efforts – Tried to spotlight common needs – Minimized racial & economic divisions – Downplayed problems of poverty & crime Hollywood helps – Frank Capra’s Why We Fight highlighted need to end fascism – Patriotic fiction films: Brave Americans Treacherous Japanese Brutal Germans – Movie stars and singers volunteered to sell war bonds & entertain troops

U.S. Troops Entertained

Americans Help Morale Americans were encouraged by media & govt. – Voluntarily contributed to war efforts – Planted victory gardens – Collected paper, scrap metal, & fat – Followed the motto: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, and do without”