Introduction
The Jose Flores interview is informative and reveals essential information about how the New Deal of the 1930s influenced the country’s politics and positively affected the social and economic situation. Introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression, the New Deal became a major program that guaranteed increased economic opportunity but failed to have a fair impact on all. History still strongly impacts realities and helps analyze events and see how prior acts or interventions affect current circumstances. Thus, the impact of the New Deal can be traced in modern realities, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, because only the most affluent citizens could afford adequate treatment.
Impacts of the New Deal
Farming
The economic implementation of the policies of the new course had an adverse effect, as it aggravated the condition of farmers, preventing them from developing. First, this is important because the farmer’s story clarifies their problems during the Great Depression and how it affected their business. The Great Depression is one of the largest economic crises in the United States, when many people lost their jobs, and their financial opportunities deteriorated (Roark, The American Promise, p. 147).
The vast distance between farms, which prevents mutual help and improved supply provision, is an example of the difficulties experienced by farmers (Roark, The American Promise, p. 31). Flores and other farmers have significantly contributed to the country’s economic recovery through their work. However, they have not received any due recognition or gratitude for this.
Noticeably, the New Deal program was partly developed to help farmers cope with difficult working conditions. The New Deal is a program designed to alleviate the effects of the severe financial turmoil in the United States (Roark, The American Promise, p. 324). The New Deal is also mentioned to be “an unprecedented array of government reforms in response to the unprecedented crisis of the Great Depression” (Johnson, ed., Reading the American Past, p. 165).
In an interview with Jose Flores, he talked about the Farm Security Administration (FSA), aiming to improve the general condition of farmlands and assist farmers (Johnson, ed., Reading the American Past, p. 177). The FSA can be specified as an agency that was supposed to protect farmers’ rights, but as a result, this initiative ended negatively, giving them no benefits (Roark, The American Promise, p. 323). Discrimination at the level of government programs is a significant shortcoming of the directives of the time.
African American Population
Further, discussing how the New Deal affected the African American community is essential. Flores noted that many people suffered because they could not receive the promised help, eventually leading to the fact that they became even more vulnerable sections of society (Roark, The American Promise, p. 161). For example, African Americans received multiple restrictions, such as regional quotas that limited their material and economic opportunities (Johnson, ed., Reading the American Past, p. 165). The Works Progress Administration (WPA) led to inequality, as African Americans faced frequent segregation by not being hired because of their skin color (Roark, The American Promise, p. 325). Thus, the government’s efforts to improve economic conditions and well-being could not provide all citizens with equal assistance and conditions.
Indigenous Peoples
The New Deal also had an important impact on Native American communities. For example, the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 was created to promote the welfare of indigenous peoples, but it ran into problems (Roark, The American Promise, p. 364). The document was also drawn up so that it could not wholly improve the situation of the natives.
Thus, the program set conflicting goals of assimilation and the preservation and maintenance of the culture of the indigenous peoples (Roark, The American Promise, p. 371). The Native American reservations were not fully and unequivocally defined, making it impossible to provide relief as such under the provisions of the New Deal. This established the importance and necessity of continuing the struggle of the natives for their rights.
Modern Realities
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed profound economic inequalities in society. The lack of access to healthcare facilities for many people became the key driver of the high death rate, which resulted from poor healthcare policy. Life support equipment was prohibitively expensive, as was the treatment for COVID. Most people would not be able to afford such expenses, revealing the severe stratification of modern society (Roark, The American Promise, p. 29). Thus, people with less financial resources could not afford sufficient treatment to help them.
Conclusion
The New Deal was a significant initiative that promised economic emancipation but ultimately failed. It was intended to improve the negative financial situation of all groups of the population; however, from what we have considered in this paper, we can say that it did not succeed. The New Deal significantly affected many population groups, such as Mexicans, African Americans, and indigenous peoples. The unequal treatment of farmers, natives, and African Americans did not eradicate the problems that caused the Great Depression.
Bibliography
Johnson, P. Michael. Reading the American Past. 5th ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009.
Roark, James, Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Susan M. Hartmann. The American Promise: A History of the United States. 4th ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009.