American experiences in World War 2

Professors Name:

Institution:

Date Due:

Introduction

The world war two created an opportunity for working together. Though some communities had been segregated and given odd tasks to perform, the war presented an opportunity for them to show their skill min representing America (Stein 2003). Members of the less advantaged communities also took the opportunity brought by the war to bring out their skills in protecting this country. This paper will highlight the experiences that Americans had during the World War 2, a war which was fought at the battlefield and tactically. The paper will also discuss the role of various social groups during the war.

Explain how ww2 created an opportunity for minorities and women in the United States, both at home and in the military.

The war presented a situation in America where unity was greatly needed in order for Americans to triumph through the war. Though members of minority groups had been given odd duties in the past, at this time they were needed to offer their services to the military (Stein 2003). Men from minority groups joined the army and went to war in the battle field. Those who couldn’t fight were made service men in the battle field. They were not part of the war but they helped those who were in the war. Men joined the military as mechanics and plumbers, to offer these services to the people who were in the war.

Women also helped the men who participated in the World War 2. They served as nurses in the battle field and also cooked for the men who went to war (Stein 2003). Women were a pillar of social and moral support. They boosted the morale of the men who were in the battlefield. The war presented an opportunity for women to rise and show that they could also help out in the process of protecting the sovereignty of the land.

After the war, women would then rise to form civil rights groups to fight for equal opportunities. They had the right to equal and fair opportunities since they had proved themselves during the war (Stein 2003). Men from minority groups also stood up as strong and formed civil rights groups to fight for their rights as members of minority groups and citizens. They also wanted to have equal opportunities to public amenities like schools and hospitals. They wanted to have a strong and common voice that could be heard by everybody. This is why civil rights groups were formed.

How did African Americans, Mexican Americans and women prove themselves worthy in the workplace and in the war?

America was able to win the war; this was the best way to prove them during the war (Stein 2003). The interaction at such a close level between, African Americans, Mexican Americans and Women had never taken place before. However, during the war, the members from minority groups had interacted with native whites at a very personal level and this was a good sign for better relations after the war.

African Americans and Mexican Americans proved themselves as important assets in the war. Without these assets, Americans alone would not have won the war. Members from minority groups fought the war as if it was their own war (Stein 2003). The fought the war with passion and a desire to win. It could be said that they fought the war with a desire to prove that they were capable to take up more demanding tasks.

How did these opportunities and accomplishments plant the seeds for the civil rights and women movements of the 1960’s?

The war made members of minority groups aware that they were capable of doing what Native Americans would do. They had fought a good fight and were now aware that they could reach out for greater roles in the country (Stein 2003). Women were now aware that they played and important role in the society. As soon as they came from the war, they were eager to get fair treatment. The interactions with white men during the war inspired them to fight for their rights. Joining the military had been a reserve priority for White Americans. However, after the war, and the involvement of African Americans in the war it was now clear that they would perform similar roles. The war made African Americans and Mexican Americans feel important and needed in America.

The opportunity for Navajo men and Japanese American men and explain their achievements in the military. Japanese Americans took part in the war; their greatest achievement was bombing the Pearl Harbor (Stein 2003). Before the war, they had not been provided with fair opportunities to join the army. They had been classified as class 4-C which was a reserve of men in the army who were not allowed to stay with their weapons for long periods of time. However after they were able to showcase their heroism, the constitution was breached to have Japanese American men participate fully in the war. They were allowed to carry their weapons as other army men.

Bibliography

Stein, R. Conrad. The home front during World War II in American history. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2003. Print.