Compare the experiences of African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans during World War II.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Nearly 1 million African Americans served in the armed forces, but relatively few saw combat, as they were placed in segregated units and used for service and construction tasks.
2. A. Philip Randolph used threats of a massive march on Washington to force President Roosevelt to end racial discrimination in defense industries and government employment, leading to creation of the Fair Employment Practices Committee.
3. As large numbers of African Americans moved to northern and western cities to find jobs, limited housing and recreational facilities led to urban race riots, including one in Detroit and one in Harlem.
4. More than 300,000 Mexican Americans served in the armed forces, many serving in the 88th
Division, which earned the nickname “Blue Devils” in the Italian campaign.
5. Spanish-speaking people left rural Texas, New Mexico, and California for jobs in the cities and improved their economic position significantly.
6. Mexican Americans faced discrimination based on skin color and language, such as the Los
Angeles Zoot Suit Riots in 1943 in which white sailors attacked Mexican American youths who
were dressed in a distinctive style associated with their ethnic identity.
7. Native Americans joined the military in large numbers relative to their share of the population, many enlisting without waiting for the draft to select them.
8. The Navajo “code talkers” were the most celebrated Native American military members,
radiomen of the U.S. Marine Corps who employed their tribal language to frustrate Japanese
eavesdropping.