1. Lesson Objectives: Section 4 - The Other America
Standard Addressed: Students analyze the economic boom and social transformation of post–World War II America.
CH 19-SEC 4
Lesson Objectives: Section 4 - The Other America
1. Explain how the white migration to the suburbs created an urban crisis.
2. Describe the efforts of minorities to gain equal rights and fight poverty.

2. A BULLDOG ALWAYS
CARES
Commitment
Attitude
Respect
Encouragement
Safety

3. QUIZ!
Fill in your
ID NUMBER!
First & Last Name
CH-19-4

4. THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE 1950S
THE POSTWAR BOOM
THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE 1950S
Amidst the prosperity of the 1950s, millions of Americans live in poverty.

5. THE OTHER AMERICA
In 1962, nearly one out of every four Americans was living below the poverty level

6. Most of these poor were the elderly, single women and their children, and/or minorities

7. WHITE FLIGHT
In the 1950s, millions of middle-class white Americans left the cities for the suburbs

8. The so-called “White Flight” drained cities of valuable resources, money and taxes
Continued . . .
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9. At the same time 5 millions African American migrated from the rural inner cities

10. Cities can no longer afford to maintain or improve:
- schools, public transportation, police and fire departments
Detroit

11. Problem: Decaying Cities
Guided Reading:
Problem: Decaying Cities
1. Causes:
Solution offered:
2. Effects of solution:
“White flight”;
Suburbanization;
loss of property and income taxes;
residents poorer than those that left;
A decrease in the quality of services
Urban renewal
Rundown neighborhoods torn down;
cleared areas not always used for housing, which led to housing shortages

12. Poverty grows rapidly in decaying inner cities
The Inner Cities
Poverty grows rapidly in decaying inner cities
Poor economic conditions lead to illness and terrible conditions
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13. • Housing and Urban Development Dept. created to improve conditions
Urban Renewal
• Urban renewal—replace rundown buildings with new low-income housing
• Housing and Urban Development Dept. created to improve conditions
• Not enough housing built for displaced people
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14. Increased inner city crime

15. Poverty Leads to Activism
Mexicans Seek Employment
Many Southwest Mexicans become U.S. citizens after Mexican War
1942–47, Mexican braceros, hired hands, allowed into U.S. to work
work
Continued . . .
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16. Mexicans braceros, Seek Employment After war, many remain illegally; many others enter to look for work

17. Mexican-Americans
Operation Wetback was an immigration law enforcement initiative created by Director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service Joseph Swing.
The program was implemented in May of 1954 by the U.S. Attorney General Herbert Brownell, and utilized special tactics to combat the problem of illegal border crossing and residence in the United States by Mexican nationals

20. RACISM

21. The Longoria Incident
Undertaker refuses funeral services to Felix Longoria, WW II veteran
Outraged Mexican-American veterans organize G.I. Forum
Unity League of CA registers voters, promotes responsive candidates

22. Lemon Grove Incident
The Lemon Grove Case (Roberto Alvarez vs. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District),
was the United State’s first successful school desegregation case.
Lemon Grove, California, where the local school board attempted to build a separate school for children of Mexican origin.

23. Mexican-Americans
Hernandez v. Texas, 347 U.S. 475 (1954), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that decided that Mexican Americans and all other racial groups in the United States had equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Social implications
The ruling was yet another step forward in the American Civil Rights Movement and another hit to racial segregation in the USA. This time, racial minorities other than African Americans benefited from such a ruling. The ultimate impact of this ruling was that now all racial groups of the United States were protected under the 14th Amendment.

24. Unity League of California
Founded by Ignacio Lopez to register Mexican-American voters and promote candidates who would represent their interests

25. American G.I. Forum,
Hector Garcia, Corpus Christi, Texas, early 1950s

26. Guided Reading: The Other America
Problem: Discrimination Against Mexican Americans
Causes:
3. Solution offered:
Prejudice against Hispanics;
Hard feelings toward braceros who stayed to work in the U.S. after World War II;
Illegal escaping poor conditions in Mexico
The creation of American G.I. Forum,
the Unity League of California,
and voter registration groups in other states

27. Native Americans

28. Native Americans & Americanization

29. Native Americans 1924, Native Americans receive full citizenship
John Collier, commissioner of Indian affairs, changes policies
Indian Reorganization Act favors native autonomy, mandates changes:
- lands belong to entire tribe; government can’t sell unclaimed areas
- children can attend schools on reservations
- tribes elect tribal councils to govern reservations

30. Native Americans Continue their Struggle
During Depression, U.S. policy of Native American autonomy
National Congress of American Indians: civil rights, maintain customs
U.S. stops family allotments, wages; outsiders take tribal lands – Klamath Termination Act
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33. The Klamath Termination Policy
• Termination policy cuts economic support, gives land to individuals
• Bureau of Indian Affairs helps resettlement in cities
• Termination policy is a failure; abandoned in 1963
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36. Guided Reading: The Other America
Problem: Economic Hardships for Native Americans
4. Causes:
5. Solution offered:
6. Effects of solution:
A termination policy adopted by the federal government
The Bureau of Indian Affairs began a voluntary relocation program to help Native Americans find a place to live and work and to pay for moving and living expenses.
Only 35,000 Native Americans relocated in the program;
Many of them were unable to find jobs;
the number of Native Americans on state welfare rolls soared

37. QUIZ!
Fill in your
ID NUMBER!
First & Last Name
CH-19-4