Chapter 12 Lesson 1 Wartime America

African American and Hispanic Workers African Americans  To prevent discrimination in hiring for factory jobs, Roosevelt created The Fair Employment Practices Commission. Mexican Workers  The Bracero Program allowed Mexican workers to harvest crops and work on railroads in the Southwest. Migrant workers remained in the United States after the war.

Forced Relocation Distrust Internment Camps Other Groups Relocated After Pearl Harbor Japanese homes and businesses were vandalized. They could not cash checks or buy goods. Internment Camps  In 1942 the government declared the West Coast a military zone. People of Japanese ancestry, mainly American citizens, were ordered to pack and relocate to 10 internment camps farther inland. Other Groups Relocated  People of German and Italian descent were also interned.

Forced Relocation Supreme Court Decisions Belated Apology In December 1944, the Supreme Court ruled that the relocation was constitutional because it was based not on race, but on “military urgency.” However, later the court ruled that U.S. citizens could not be held against their will, they were released Belated Apology  In 1988 President Ronald Reagan apologized to Japanese Americans on behalf of the U.S. government. Each surviving internee was given $20,000 in reparations.

Scrap Drive Scrap Drives Victory Gardens Rationing Americans collected raw materials to aid in military production. People donated pots, tires, cans, car parts, and broken toys. Victory Gardens Americans grew fruits and vegetables in virtually any available space in cities, suburbs, and rural areas to provide food. Rationing  U.S. government departments overseeing the domestic war effort placed limits on purchasing items ranging from meat to shoes to gasoline.