World War II Effects on American Women and Minority Groups

Introduction

During the Second World War, soldiers had to fight on foreign land in hopes of victory. Meanwhile, on the home front, people had to continue living their lives and working in accordance with the new reality. Due to increasing labor demands during times of war, family problems and burdens increased, as well as stress on Americans to adhere to societal and cultural standards. These adjustments caused individuals to reevaluate their views on gender and race, including what traits, behaviors, and responsibilities people should have in their communities and families. However, the Second World War had a mixed impact on women and minority groups since while some minority groups became even more oppressed, other minority groups and women in the U.S. faced a shift in race and gender preconceptions.

War Impact on American Women

When it comes to women, although they have always been employed outside the house, their presence and influence have never been as great as it was during the Second World War. Before the war, the majority of working-age women constituted the inferior working classes, and most of them were people of color¹. There were many different perspectives about women who were employed. Particularly during the Great Recession, some groups believed that women must only be granted the right to employment that men did not desire². In contrast, other groups believed they must quit their jobs to offer positions for unemployed men. It was additionally believed that female representatives from middle-income families or above should never degrade themselves by working.

However, with the U.S. involvement in Second World War, many perspectives regarding female labor were questioned. The authorities requested women to fill men’s positions on the assembly line while the latter were away fighting a global conflict across the Atlantic and the Pacific. A government organization, such as the War Manpower Commission, which was created to boost the production of military supplies, was tasked with enlisting women in jobs that were crucial to the military effort³. Unexpectedly, women’s beliefs about labor outside the house had to shift too.

Throughout wartime, numerous flyers and pieces of art addressed the issue of shifting gender roles in U.S. society. For example, some were created in accordance with government initiatives, such as one from the documents in the U.S. Government Archives. The archive shows a War Manpower job flyer promoting women to register for War Jobs in 1942⁴. Another symbol of female power during the Second World War is Rosie the Riveter, which is a clear illustration of how socially-constructed roles for women changed throughout the conflict. Most Americans associate Rosie with being a powerful and stoic woman who rolls up her shirt’s sleeves to show her bicep muscle and declares, “We Can Do It!”⁵. Almost five million women out of the total of 19 million who labored for pay during the war had no prior experience of such kind of work⁶. Throughout Second World War, countless numbers of married women with children worked. Although the national government and companies during the war argued that these women were essential to success, working women changed the common perceptions of the majority of Americans regarding the appropriate roles for men and women.

On the other hand, there was another side of gaining more access to male-dominated spheres. The women were forced to overcome men’s attitudes regarding female labor in the workforce. Before, the majority of women were employed in the secretarial and service industries. However, the military climate opened doors for them in industrial jobs and military production facilities, which had historically been the domain of males. Male employees perceived women performing strenuous and professional duties as interfering with what has before been referred to as only their job⁷. There were even instances of males who retaliated by harassing and resisting their female counterparts⁸. At this point, businesses separated male and female labor and paid women less in an effort to maintain certain aspects of the pre-war gender system⁹. Moreover, women who worked for themselves and spent significant time away from the household started to alarm many Americans. Such laboring women posed a threat to the traditional view of male contributors and female housewives and caregivers, particularly for white, middle-class households.

In the end, the majority of women went home after the war, having lost their employment. Once more, men had the positions and there was no need for female labor. Still, the influence of these changes remained among American women. They had demonstrated their capability, and after a few generations, they were widely present in the workplace. Considering there was not much to purchase throughout warfare times, these women had kept a large portion of their earnings¹⁰. This kind of money served as a deposit for a new house and served as a catalyst for the 1950s’ success¹¹. As a result, while the Second World War made American women take positions in predominantly male field, which additionally came with lower payment and harassment, women still saw further potential and the need to fight for their rights.

War Impact on Minority Groups

African Americans

As for the impact on minority groups, different racial minorities experienced varying consequences. For example, in wartime, African Americans faced less segregation in the military. African Americans fought to secure their own individual rights and social justice while at the same time displaying courage and brilliance in service in every region of the Second World War. During such times, people of color made advances in achieving equality.

For instance, wartime set the stage for post-war army unification even though the US Armed Forces were legally separated several years after the end of the war. The 761st Tank Division, referred to as the Black Panthers, was sent to Commander Patton’s American Allied Forces in 1944¹². First African American tanker group to engage in action in European land was the Battalion. As Commander Patton put it: “Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting great things from you. Most of all, your race is looking forward to your success.¹³” One photograph indicates how Major James A. Ellison salutes Mac Ross, an African American soldier¹⁴. Still, while protecting their country, at home they were perceived as “second-class citizens,” which indicates mixed impact. While at warfare, they faced more respect and saw the disintegration of segregation, in their homeland, they were still abhorred.¹⁵ Another example is the promotion of African American women in the military, which paves the way for women’s rights as well. Major Charity Adams became the first African American woman to be appointed into the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps¹⁶. This was a major advancement for women of color in the United States.

Japanese Americans

Japanese Americans are among the racial minorities who were immensely deprived of their rights due to their nationality. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an order number 9066 in 1942, depriving persons of Japanese ancestry of their human liberties¹⁷. Among the most unjust periods in the history of the United States is the result of that decision and the subsequent acts taken by the U.S. government. Almost all Japanese Americans were compelled to abandon their homes and possessions and spend the majority of the wartime in encampments¹⁸. This happened despite the Japanese never having been accused of a crime and without being given a fair trial.

Countless Japanese Americans were forced to live in poor, cramped circumstances with barbed wire barriers around them and armed security for many years. People sacrificed not only their houses, companies, property, and money but also their freedom, safety, and the basic liberties that are equally the possession of all Americans¹⁹. Despite the fact that this practice infringed on many of the most fundamental constitutional privileges of Japanese Americans, the authorities justified it by citing global defense ²⁰. In this sense, such impact of the World War 2 can be considered negative.

Native Americans

Native Americans, in turn, showed great patriotism and faced several positive impacts. This minority group gave a variety of justifications for joining the military, among which were a strong desire to defend their nation, both the U.S. and their historical native lands, from foreign invaders. Numerous crucial military operations of the conflict had native service members. Indian Country was significantly and permanently impacted by the conflict. In order to aid in the war effort, some 150,000 American Indians joined the army or worked in agriculture and industry²¹. The physical barriers separating Native Americans from the rest of America were dissolved by the migration from reservations, which increased its speed of growth after the war ²². In this sense, there was less discrimination and more affiliation of the people.

Hispanic Americans

Lastly, Hispanic American showed immense patriotism as well, playing a crucial role during the war. In wartime, more over 500,000 Latinos enlisted, approximately 400,000 Hispanic individuals²³. Although cultural restrictions had previously prohibited Latinas from departing from their families and embarking on extended unaccompanied journeys, they participated in War. Due to the increased need for bilingualism during the conflict, they were able to secure significant employment in telecommunications, translation, and cryptanalysis²⁴. Latinas overcame cultural and racial hurdles to serve their nation as interpreters, nurses, Red Cross volunteers, and members of the WAACS, WAVES, and Marine Corps Women’s Reserves²⁵. In this sense, the gap between white individuals and people of color was narrowing during the military conflict.

Moreover, many Latino adolescents in the Southwest of the United States created their own subculture. This took place during the 1930s and 1940s and featured unique clothing, music, and language²⁶. These young people, who identified as Pachucos, rebelled against both American society and even certain aspects of their native culture. Latinos believed they had deserved full equality and equal treatment because of their labor and sacrifices made during the conflict. Still, Latinos experienced prejudice after returning from combat, much as other minority groups in the country.

Conclusion

Hence, while certain minority groups saw increased oppression as a result of the Second World War, other minority groups, as well as women in the United States, experienced a change in racial and gender stereotypes. In this sense, women gained access to male-dominated positions. In turn, there was less segregation in the military during the war for African Americans. However, Japanese Americans were one of the racial minorities that suffered the most from nationality-based discrimination against them. Native Americans, on the other hand, displayed enormous patriotism and benefited in many ways. Lastly, Latino minority developed their own cultures and exhibited patriotism, achieving higher positions on battlefields due to bilingualism.

Works Cited

Broom, Leonard, and Ruth Reimer. Removal and Return: The Socio-Economic Effects of the War on Japanese Americans. University of California Press, 2022.

The National World War II Museum. African Americans in World War II. The National World War II Museum, n.d.

Gender on the Home Front. The National World War II Museum, n.d.

Los Veteranos: Latinos in World War II. The National World War II Museum, n.d.

Locke, Joseph and Ben Wright (Eds.). The American Yawp Reader. The American Yawp, n.d.

National Archives. Women in the Work Force during World War II. National Archives, n.d.

National Museum of the American Indian. World War II. National Museum of the American Indian, n.d.

National Park Service. Japanese Americans at War. National Park Service, 2020.

The White House. Day of Remembrance of Japanese-American Incarceration during World War II. The White House, n.d.

Footnotes

1. National Archives. Women in the Work Force during World War II. National Archives, n.d. Web.
2. National Archives. Women in the Work Force during World War II. National Archives, n.d. Web.
3. National Archives. Women in the Work Force during World War II. National Archives, n.d. Web.
4. National Archives. Women in the Work Force during World War II. National Archives, n.d. Web.
5. —. Gender on the Home Front. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
6. —. Gender on the Home Front. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
7. —. Gender on the Home Front. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
8. —. Gender on the Home Front. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
9. —. Gender on the Home Front. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
10. National Archives. Women in the Work Force during World War II. National Archives, n.d.. Web.
11. National Archives. Women in the Work Force during World War II. National Archives, n.d. Web.
12. The National World War II Museum. African Americans in World War II. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
13. The National World War II Museum. African Americans in World War II. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
14. Locke, Joseph and Ben Wright (Eds.). The American Yawp Reader. The American Yawp, n.d. Web.
15. Locke, Joseph and Ben Wright (Eds.). The American Yawp Reader. The American Yawp, n.d. Web.
16. The National World War II Museum. African Americans in World War II. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
17. National Park Service. Japanese Americans at War. National Park Service, 2020. Web.
18. National Park Service. Japanese Americans at War. National Park Service, 2020. Web.
19. The White House. Day of Remembrance of Japanese-American Incarceration during World War II. The White House, n.d. Web.
20. Broom, Leonard, and Ruth Reimer. Removal and Return: The Socio-Economic Effects of the War on Japanese Americans (University of California Press, 2022) 26.
21. National Museum of the American Indian. World War II. National Museum of the American Indian, n.d. Web.
22. National Museum of the American Indian. World War II. National Museum of the American Indian, n.d. Web.
23. —. Los Veteranos: Latinos in World War II. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
24. —. Los Veteranos: Latinos in World War II. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
25. —. Los Veteranos: Latinos in World War II. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.
26. —. Los Veteranos: Latinos in World War II. The National World War II Museum, n.d. Web.