WWII and Discrimination

African Americans Military Segregation “Separate but equal” Double V Campaign Executive Order 8802- No employment discrimination in defense industries based on race, creed, color, or national origin Fair Employment Practices Commission- civil rights agency to enforce EO 8802 Racial tensions spurred riots in Detroit African Americans

Bracero Program- 200,000 Mexican workers came to aid U.S. war effort Harvest fruit and vegetables Build and maintain railroads Racial tensions between Mexicans and whites Zoot Suit Riots- 2,500 American soldiers and sailors attack Mexican neighborhoods in Los Angeles 500,000 Hispanic Americans served in armed forces during WWII Mexican Americans

After Pearl Harbor, racial tensions increase between Japanese immigrants and whites Attacks on Japanese businesses, homes, etc. Social discrimination Fear of Japanese spies Executive Order 9066- Declared West Coast a military zone Forced Japanese Americans (2/3 citizens) to internment camps Lost homes, businesses, farms, possessions 1942-1945 Korematsu v. United States- relocation constitutional because of “military urgency” No Japanese were ever tried for espionage or sabotage Japanese Americans

Italian and German Americans FDR Proclamations, December 8, 1941 All unnaturalized residents of German and Italian decent, 14 yrs. and up Deemed enemy aliens Travel restrictions Forced to carry I.D. cards Personal property taken 5,000 arrested Forced to live in military internment camps Italian and German Americans

40,000 Native men and women left reservations to work in defense industries Alaskan tribes served as territorial defense against Japanese occupation U.S. used Native resources for war materials- land, oil, helium, lumber, etc. 25,000 Native men served in armed forces Navajo Code Talkers Native Americans