The Homefront During WWII
Rationing Office of Price Administration sets prices and limits availability of essential items Meat, sugar, coffee, canned foods, fuel, nylons, & shoes all require ration coupons
War Production Board Oversees transition to a wartime economy “Rosie the Riveter” symbolizes female workers
Propaganda Promotes conservation War bonds & taxes Any message to keep Americans focused on the war effort Often racist or emotional
African-Americans Serve in segregated units Face continued discrimination at home Double-V Campaign: Victory Abroad and at Home! Continued migration to jobs in Northern cities
Tuskegee Airmen Before 1940, African Americans were barred from flying for the U.S. military. In 1941, the Army Air Corps began to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, and instructors. The Tuskegee Airmen overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II.
What race do you think the owner on Wanto Grocery is? Why do you think he put this sign up? What does it tell you about some white Americans who lived in this neighborhood?
Japanese-Americans
Executive Order 9066 Issued by President FDR in 1942 Creates military camps in the west like Manzanar Japanese Americans relocated to internment camps
Before & After Japanese Internment
Japanese Internment All Japanese-Americans on West Coast - most were American citizens 120,000 imprisoned until 1945 – upheld by Supreme Court WHY? Discrimination, plus a false belief they were aiding the enemy