American GIs
Opportunities •Joining the military enabled Americans to show their Patriotism. •By Joining the military, immigrants and minorities had a chance to show that they were truly Americans. •GIs developed strong bonds of friendship. •GIs gained a new sense of pride and a greater appreciation for American ideals, like liberty.
Hardships •Basic Training was tough, and GIs followed a strict routine. •On the battlefield, GIs were confronted with extreme danger and the fact that they could die at any moment. •GIs suffered from boredom and homesickness and could only communicate with family members by letter. •Many GIs were mentally or physically wounded by their experience.
Japanese-Americans
Opportunities •Japanese American men fought in nd the 442 Division, which won more medals than any other unit of its size in American history.
Hardships •After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were regarded as suspicious and possibly being more loyal to Japan than America. •Japanese nationals were declared “enemy aliens” and had to register with the government, carry special identification cards, and turn in all firearms, cameras, and shortwave radios. •After Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps throughout the Western United States. •Evacuees had just a few weeks to sell their homes and possessions before being interned. •Internment camps were bleak, crowded, and guarded with machine guns and barbed wire.
Women
Opportunities •Many women worked in jobs typically held by men. •Tough, physical labor increased the selfconfidence, independence, and income of women. •The army, navy, and coast guard established auxiliary branches for women. •Many military women moved beyond clerical work and became truck drivers, mechanics, radio operators, air traffic controllers, or pilots.
Hardships •Women often faced hostility on the job. •African American women faced additional racial hostility. •Women’s wages were not equal to men’s wages. •Labor unions did not support women workers. •Women worked “double shifts,” spending a full day at work and then another full day completing domestic duties.
African-Americans
Opportunities •As the war progressed, African Americans were able to become military officers and engage in combat. •The army air corps established its first black combat unit, the Tuskegee Airmen. •A. Phillip Randolph’s threat to lead a massive march in Washington, D.C., led to the opening of the defense industry to all Americans. •Many African Americans moved to industrial cities for better-paying jobs and to escape legalized segregation in the South.
Hardships •Racism was still a powerful force in American society. •Early in the war, the marines and army air corps refused to take African American Soldiers. •At first, African Americans were relegated to menial and noncombat roles. •The army made African Americans serve in segregated units. •African Americans faced housing shortages and racial discrimination in industrial cities. •Race riots broke out in many cities across the country.
Jewish Americans
Opportunities •Serving in the armed forces transformed the lives of many Jewish American GIs. •Jewish American GIs saw new places and expanded their knowledge of unfamiliar cultures.
Hardships • Jewish Americans knew that millions of Jews were being imprisoned and murdered in Europe, and they could do nothing to stop it. •Many Jews had Jewish relatives and friends in Europe but felt helpless to save them. •Pleas by Jewish Americans to change immigration laws to allow refugees into the United States were ignored. •Jewish American GIs often felt the sting of prejudice in the military.
Mexican-Americans
Opportunities •Joining the military provided Mexican Americans a chance to prove their loyalty to the U.S. •Many Mexican American soldiers received military awards. •Thousands of Mexican Americans left rural communities and took jobs in industrial centers. •The Bracero Program enabled Mexican citizens to come to the United States to work.
Hardships •Mexican Americans faced discrimination in their daily lives. •Tensions between Mexican Americans and navy service-men led to the Zoot Suit Riots, which resulted in the attacks on hundreds of pachucos. The Los Angeles police did little to stop the servicemen and, instead, arrested Mexican Americans and hauled them off to jail.
