Impact of WWII
World War II had a definite impact on the United States. It changed how people lived and how other people were viewed. Not many people realize the treatment of people from our own country during World War II. Three groups of people that were affected were women, African Americans, and Japanese Americans. The lives of these people were changed drastically, whether by having to work, mistreatment because of skin color, or by being blamed for something that was done by a country they were native to. Prior to World War II, employers and the government held that there were jobs appropriate for women and jobs which were inappropriate because women were not capable of fulfilling the tasks involved in such work. As we
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African Americans were discriminated against even though they were serving their country. Like we discussed in class, some African Americans were lynched in public while dressed in their military uniform. Many were severely beaten almost to death. They were treated with no respect. As I looked through my notes I found that African Americans were grouped together in combat and often were given missions that could have been considered suicidal. Although the blacks were treated poorly, it seems that the Japanese Americans got the raw end of the deal during the war. Shortly after the United States entered into war with Japan, the federal government initiated a policy whereby 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were rounded up and herded into camps, 2/3 of these people were actually United States citizens. They were incarcerated without indictment, trial, or counsel - not because they had committed a crime, but simply because they resembled the enemy. These were similar to concentration camps that the Germans were using for the Jews, though no one was being killed and Japanese Americans were allowed to work within the camps. Not many Americans knew about the camps at that time, and some still don't know today. Like discussed in class, it was an embarrassing moment for this country. The book that was assigned in class, Desert Exile by Yoshiko Uchida, told the story of a family who lived through these horrible times. As we discussed in class
The Second World War began in September of 1939 and was between the Allies and the Axis. It began with Germany’s unprovoked attack and conquest of Poland, and involved Britain and France from the beginning. Its origins lay in German resentment at the terms of the Treaty of Versailles (1919), the economic crisis of 1929-30, which favored the rise to power of Fascist dictators, the failure of the League of Nations to gain international acceptance for disarmament, and the policy of imperialism adopted by Germany, Italy and Japan as a means of acquiring raw materials and markets. As a part of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had to accept full responsibility for the First World War, which then led up to the outbreak of the Second. The
Unfortunately, the Japanese-Americans living on the west coast were given no time to show what their loyalties were: they were expelled from the area. They were shipped off to remote locations in the more barren sections of the country. The living conditions at the camps were inadequate at best. Residents were forced to endure extreme cold and extreme heat, cramped living spaces, poor meals, and a lack of indoor plumbing. The whole time, they were under the watchful eyes of armed military police. They were treated as prisoners.
During the Second World War the Americans held 120,000 Japanese Americans in camps that was isolated, uncomfortable, and overcrowded. Even if their families were treated this way 33,000 Japanese Americans still served in the military. The Americans would see their Japanese neighbors as aliens and untrustworthy, however the Journalist would have false reports about them, which then made the suspense against the Japanese Americans bigger. Executive Order 9066 was signed on February 12, 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and had 120,000 of his American soldiers go to the detention camps until the war was over. A few weeks after, there wasn’t any trials, so they had to force the Japanese Americans to go to the camps and had to abandon their
When the United States placed the Japanese Americans into camps they assumed that they were spies and were working with Japan. 350-400 people were placed into these camps even though only about 50-60 were actually harmful. They had no way of knowing who was actually dangerous to the United States. The Commission released “Personal Justice Denied: The Report of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians” on February 24, 1983. The actions which led to the United States placing the Japanese Americans into camps were race prejudice, war hysteria, and failure of political leadership. But another thing was the United States being so angry and fearful of the Japanese. So many awful things were put apon people of Japanese ancestry. The Commission wrote, “A grave injustice was done to American citizens and resident aliens of Japanese ancestry who, without individual review or any…evidence against them, were excluded, removed and detained by the United States during World War II” (Document F). The Commission intended that a horrible mistake was made when Japanese Americans were placed into camps without any evidence against them. These people were just thrown out of their houses without any proof of them doing anything. Since there was no evidence found against the Japanese Americans there was no way of
On February 19th, 1942 in the midst of world war two 120,000 Americans were put prison for their ethnic background.These people may have been of Japanese descent but I am steadfast in the belief that they were no less american than anyone else. The interment of the Japanese americans was a racist, unjust, and illogical act the will forever leave a stain on america’s honor as a nation.
World War 2 affected the United States of America in multiple different ways, such as socially, economically and politically to. The war caused a boost in immigration off all races and genders. The damage of the war caused workers to move to curtain area where work is available. This resulted in an overflow of children for schools, a shortage of homes for the females of the working men and woman. The war causes the role of a woman to change tremendously. Woman became lumberjacks, mechanics during the war. They went as far as to take jobs normally reserved for men and also there wages began to double overtime. There were even woman joining the navy, army and also nursing in the field for falling soldiers. Sometime after the war woman began to
World War I was a global war based in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) had great involvement in the war, serving as part of the British Empire. In Australia, or the ‘Australian home front’ the war had major impact, in many aspects of the Australian society. Conscription was a social impact of WWI, ‘The Enemy Within’ was a social impact of WWI and women were a social impact of WWI.
The government forced the Japanese-Americans at the camps to swear to a loyalty oath program that swore alliance to the government and enlisted them in the war . Around 20,000 people joined the war from the camps, and about 200 men were sent to prison for refusing to swear to the loyalty oath and enlist in the army . One of the Japanese Americans who was forced to move to an internment camp was Gene J Takahashi . Him and his family were thrown into chaos after the Pearl Harbor attack, and given only a week to dispose of all of their material possessions . They were pushed and shoved onto a small packed train, where all the windows were boarded or covered up with blankets so they wouldn’t know where they were being taken . They ended up in an internment camp called Poston, in South Phoenix, Arizona . Gene and his family were assigned a living space in a small dimly lit room with hardly any furniture, and no running water. Gene compared the internment camps to a run-down town : having schools with no books or desks, and small dark churches . Gene and his family were there for three years until 1944 when they were given permission to leave the camp . It wasn’t until 1988, with only two survivors left, when Congress apologized for the internment camps, and provided $20,000 to the surviving victims . Japanese-Americans were sent to the internments camps without any court hearings, showing a primary example of how WW2 undermined the basic freedom of some of American
How was America Impacted by World War II? World War II was a war that will never be forgotten. This dark and devastating war will always be remembered. Not only did it impact various countries as it was happening, it has repercussions to this day. In addition to the staggering amounts of casualties, it left many countries in debt.
The USA was affected at home during WWII by many contributing factors. During the fight in WWII we had to focus on the tactics and the affects at home such as Women, African Americans, and WWII Propaganda posters. When we went to war there was a large labor shortage and it was a stereotype that men were to be sent to war so it left the women at home to produce and enforce the war effort. This lead to women getting s bigger role in the workforce. This also led to the equal rights movement in the future. They showed the government that women were not just for tending the house and the children they could actually be a great help after all and in the end they really did win the war. The next effect at home due to the war would be African Americans.
At this time women were entering the workforce at nearly twice the rate of men, but their work was considered not as good as a man’s work and women’s wages were reduced compared to men’s (1930s 1). While many women were in the workforce, they were discouraged from entering it because many people still believed women belonged in the home, and men did not want women to take their jobs (Garnace 1); due to more women being hired than men during this time period, some may consider this a good time for women, but the reality is women were only hired for new
World War II was the battle between Democracy vs. Nazism (fascist Government) which had an impact on American society. Well before the war started American society had double standards for African American, Women, and Asian Americans each group had its difficulty. American before World War II had and Anglo Saxon culture and in the south it took it to the next level with white supremacy and segregation. And New Deal agencies excluded African American from receiving federal relief for instance the CCC would exclude African American from enrolling. World War II was the beginning of what it meant to be an American a shift from an Anglo Saxon culture to a inclusive and welcoming culture, that anyone came be an America if they believed in what the
It helped to change attitudes towards black American's, as they went to war; they were portrayed to be worthy American citizens which changed many white American's attitudes towards them. The war also created stepping stones for the likes of Martin Luther King to breach into the civil rights movement, therefore not only did it have an impact on black American's, it also created some success for many civil rights activists. However the war did nothing to reduce discrimination towards other ethnic minorities, for example Japanese Americans received much racial discrimination due to Japan's role in WWII. Although the war was bad for the civil rights of Japanese Americans, Chinese American's received a better way of life, with more civil rights as America forged a great political relationship with China after the war due to their help during it. Therefore WWII was a great influence on reducing racial discrimination within the USA for only certain minorities, although for the likes of Japanese American's way of life got worse as they were sent to camps until the war ended due to suspicions. The war was more important than earlier individuals as it had a direct impact on reducing racial discrimination, and further effect in the emergence of fresh civil rights activists who would later have a significant role in the movement.
Throughout the war, women were encouraged to fill in jobs that where usually handled by men. However, even after the battle of the war women were discriminated and made to feel as a burden stating that all women should stay home. Rochman (2011) states, "A woman isn't a woman until she's been married and has children" (p. 64). Women have evolved accomplished substantial developments in every aspect in their careers. Throughout the centuries, women have continued to grow and move forward up the corporate latter. However, decades have passed, yet women continue to receive some form of gender discrimination even in today’s day and age society. The women still seemed to be type cast in to work in what were original female jobs that were created in the past like sales, secretaries, waitress, etc. Women are still being discriminated contrary to companies within employment is unquestionable: discrimination of women ensues in the variety, cross-examining, and employment hiring process. The disowning of
"For almost six years from 1939 to 1945 Britain fought the toughest war it had ever experienced. World War II was total war - every person, every business, every service was involved. SoldierBritain did not fight alone, the war also involved many countries. World War II involved 61 countries with 1.7 billion people (three quarters of the world's population)." "Over one million children under the age of sixteen died in in World War II, not because of the bombs, but because they did not fit in as Hitler’s image of the "perfect" German". "Many children and their parents living in countries, which had been invaded by the Germans, were imprisoned and killed because they were Jewish".