Impact of World War 2 on women and minorities in the US

THE IMPACT OF WORLD WAR 2 ON WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN AMERICA
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The Impact of World War 2 on Women and Minorities in America
Due to the enormity of and universal nature of the World War 2, women and minority groups were involved in a number of ways. The war gave the minority groups in America a psychological and economic boost. Due to America’s direct involvement, the defense industries were in great need of laborers, therefore opened opportunities for the minorities who included women, African Americans, the poor. These groups were also inevitably integrated into the civic life, which saw them enlisted in the service; women joined the women army corps and the nursing corps, while the minority races formed a significant percentage of the soldiers, which was unprecedented due to the racial and gender segregation before the war.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt resolute resolve to counterattack the propagandist Axis, presented an opportunities for high paying and skilled jobs in the defense industry for minorities who had no chance at such jobs initially. Women specifically were put in more skilled jobs than they were accustomed to in non-war times besides secretarial typist work and oversees nursing functions, they also soon became mechanics, researchers engineers, electricians. In 1990, the select service act was passed which gave the right to African Americans to enlist in all departments of the armed forces, eventually making up 11% of the manpower, notwithstanding the discrimination that they were still facing. (Wright, 1994) The war changed the fabric of American life, due to the economic equity that was extended to these groups. In addition, they had a grasp at the taste of freedom, and yearned for more equity, precipitating to women’s right and indeed civil rights movement.
The minorities were given an opportunity to shed some blood for their country in the battle field. They serv...