Domestic Liberalism During World War II

On the home front of World War II, the United States underwent several important changes. Namely, liberalism was positively and negatively affected. With more than 16 million men leaving home to engage in battle, the atmosphere of the country shifted. There were jobs to fill, war materials to produce, and an economy to revive. A proper way examine liberalism during this period is to examine the groups of people in which the war affected. The changes in domestic liberalism brought about by World War II most notably affected women, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Japanese Americans. Many women saw the jobs made available by World War II soldiers as an economic opportunity. Typically, married women were confined to the household. The

Similar to women, the shortage of labor caused African Americans to obtain new jobs in manufacturing. Many of them migrated to northern and western states from the rural south. Black labor leader A. Phillip Randolph managed to convince FDR to ban racial discrimination in war industries by threatening a march on Washington. Randolph wanted to integrate the armed forces as well, but accepted Roosevelt’s compromise. To prevent the march from happening, FDR created the Fair Employment Practices Committee. This committee was successful in raising the number African Americans working for the federal government, but failed to address a majority of complaints from privately owned businesses. Above all, the large-scale migration of African Americans gradually improved relations between white and black people. World War II indirectly helped African Americans move up in

Although some could serve in the armed forces unsegregated, life at home was filled with racial and cultural discrimination. Much like African Americans, a multitude of Mexican Americans migrated from southern states in search of jobs. In areas such as petroleum refineries and aircraft plants, they faced low wages and ridicule from union members. Union members resented the fact that Mexican Americans were willing to work for lower wages. In Los Angeles, the “zoot suit” riots were one of most obvious examples of racial discrimination. In 1943, white sailors brutally attacked Mexican Americans for wearing “zoot suits”, a common Mexican style of clothing. Many considered these suits unpatriotic, especially during a time of war. Despite discrimination, Mexican Americans had a few improvements. For the most part, they were better off financially with the new jobs. Also, upon returning from war, Mexican American veterans created the American G.I forum, setting themselves up for equal rights in the future. Overall, World War II did not have a very positive impact on Mexican