USA
Cause (s):
- When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor the United States quickly realized that they needed as much help as possible. Jobs opened up for women and people of color. Posters and flyers began to circulate that appealed to these groups. Each of the following posters caused women and minorities to start to venture out into the workforce. They were becoming more aware of the opportunities open to them and they took advantage of that. |
Effect (s):
- Women and people of color began enlisting and applying for jobs that they normal would not apply for. Not only did this help war efforts but it also greatly boosted the economy. The efforts of women in the workforce began to be greatly recognized. In December 1943, Charles E. Folsom wrote the following in the Boston Post about american women in the workforce. “These devoted women are no mere spectators. They are a part of the show whether in the offices or out doing a man's Job. A press tour around the ship and rail terminal, through the vast warehouses, shops, wharf and pier sheds, disclosed what an industrious crew they are. It was easy to understand the enthusiasm of their commander, Brigadier General C. R. $ells, 1 who likes their work and wants more of them, to release men for sterner duties. Bere is thrill aplenty for the girls, the excitement of send, Lng transport or cargo ships away on time, preparing the shipping lists, making equipment storm proof and bringing up sling loads of goods for ship's booms to hoist into place. An acre of girls keep typewriters clicking, platoons of them charge at freight trains and whisk supplies away on chisel trucks, to stack them up with the fork lift for future shipment.” (https://www.archives.gov/files/boston/exhibits/homefront/4.11-boston-post.pdf) |
Change (s):
- Before WWII women were seen as stay at home mothers. They were expected to clean the house, take care of the kids, and cook meals for when their husbands and/or working sons returned to the house. WWII was the one of the first times women were sent to work outside of the house. Women soon were seen working at businesses and working in the war. WWII was the first time gender roles seemed to switch in the workforce. In “Private Bosanko Goes to Basic” Anne Bosanko Green recounts on her experiences during the war as an active participant in the military. She recounts on being able to have proper schooling and more job opportunities in the following excerpt recorded on June 19, 1944. “I haven't gotten back any grades from exams yet but I know I got an A in Zoology. Happy day. As to English Lit., English History, and Humanities, my fate is in the lap of the Gods. I am letting my mind lie fallow this summer where I work part-time in the [Minneapolis] Star-Journal Want Ad Department and read murder mysteries the rest of the time.” (http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/51/v51i07p246-258.pdf) - Before WWII it was almost unheard of African Americans fighting alongside whites in a war. Before it was very common for whites and colors to be segregated in the war but that was not the case with WWII. The idea of a common enemy was what brought whites and colors together. People put aside differences in color to fight as one country. During WWI the number of African American fighters was roughly 350,000. This number grew to a rough 2.5 million during WWII. |
Continuity (s):
- Today discrimination against minorities is still greatly seen in America. The constant fight for equality continues on. Much like today back during the time of WWII, African Americans were greatly discriminated against. Early 1941, members of the African American community decided they had enough of improper treatment. A. Philip Randolph wrote Walter White about a march on Washington in response to unequal treatment of Negroes. In this letter he wrote “Now I have been thinking about the Negro and national defense and have come to the conclusion that something drastic has got to be done to shake official Washington and the white industrialists and labor forces of America to the realization of the fact that Negroes mean business about getting their rights as American citizens under national defense. T o this end I have decided to undertake the organization of a march of ten thousand Negroes or more upon Washington.” (https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/civil-rights-act/world-war-ii-and-post-war.html) Just as A. Philip Randolph and the other “ten thousand negroes” fought for their equality back in 1941, members of the African American community still fight for their rights today. Protests and slogans such as “black lives matter” circulate social media today. These slogans and protests are created out of the need for equality of all races. Not much has changed since 1941. - Much of these same ideas can be seen when looking at women during WWII and in today's time. Although women did venture out more into the workforce during WWII there was still great inequality between men and women. During WWII “women with full time jobs earned on average between 59–64 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earned in the same job.” (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/equalpayact1.html) That means women were left with around a 40 % wage gap as compared to today's 20%. The picture below represents how the wage gap has progressed since the 60’s. (http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/) |
Canada
Cause (s):
- Soon after Great Britain joined the War so did Canada. They felt it was their duty to help the allied powers. This created new jobs that needed to be filled. Much like the USA, Canada also circulated posters in order to inform women and minorities of the opportunities that were open to them. Examples of these posters are below. |
Effect (s):
- Women and people of color began filling the industry helping in anyway they could. In 1941 the following was written in “The Globe and Mail” about the hard work of women in the workforce.. “From Ministerial pronouncements and other sources it may be gathered that the Federal Government, under the plan of national selective service now in process of incubation at Ottawa, intends to draw much more freely than heretofore upon women's services for war purposes and particularly for the augmentation of the labor force engaged in the war industries . On the evidence of the data of the national registration of, 1940, there exists in Canada a large reserve of woman power, which under proper management and direction could be very profitably” (http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/newspapers/canadawar/women_e.shtml) This article explains how "woman power" in military efforts were just as important as anything else. It discussed how in the long run and under proper management the employment of women could be very profitable towards the country. |
Change (s):
- Just as in the United States before WWII canadian women and People of Color were not often seeing participating in the economy. That all changed when the War started. Canada viewed WWII as an anyone and everyone should do their part. They opened doors for women and for people of color to have a stake in the fight against the axis powers. Women were often enlisted as nurses and some were even active fighters in the air force and on the front lines of the war. The following article was written in 1942, posted in The Toronto Star, and it explains the importance of women in the war. “In the government's labor mobilization program, women occupy an important place. ~ In his speech detailing the program, Premier I King said that the most, . "important single' feature of,the program" was the use that is to be made of the Dominion's woman power for war production. A recent survey of the potential labor supply in : Canada showed that women constitute the most available reserve of manpower. .' ' Under the present plan women are to be enlisted to replace men in every sort of occupation in order to free younger men for direct war services . The woman a who now 'constitute the labor reserve are most of them housewives and a considerable proportion among them have young children . For domestic and other reasons they have not sought employment and" to secure their services to the fullest extent a social program was needed. This ' the government has now formulated. Premier King arino#nced the following measures are to be undertaken by the government to bring women into the needed work: 1. Recruiting campaigns to attract women into the essential jobs . 2. Provision. of facilities- for interviewing women applicants and giving them advice and direction . 3. Establishment of competent job information and placement services, specializing in female labor. 4. Advances, where necessary, . to meet transportation costs in getting women workers to places .where work is, available . 5. Provision of hostels or other satisfactory housing arrangements for women workers. 6. Provision of nurseries and, other means of caring for-children. 'T. Provision, where needed, of medical and recreational facilities. S. Provision of training programs, specially designed for women.- 9. Pressure upon employers who may be reluctant to engage female labor. 10. Changes in civil service and institutional restrictions on the employment of female, and particularly married female, labor. This is an admirably comprehensive pro g,ram. When put into operation under competent direction, it should undoubtedly help to spur the war production program and achieve oi ;her benefits besides. From the standpoint of Canadian unity and social development this is indeed an historic program. It will blaze new trails in the social service field and in government : relationships. St places the federal government in the position of giving leadership in. matters that concern human welfare, particular” (http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/newspapers/canadawar/women_e.shtml) - After WWII began African Americans began to participate more as citizens of canada. They began to detest ideas that they were unequal to whites and thought they deserved equality. In the case of Missouri Ex Rel. Gaines v. Canada African americans gained the right to have the same education and war opportunities as their white co citizens. (http://www.blackpast.org/primary/missouri-ex-rel-gaines-v-canada-1938) |
Continuity (s):
Just as all around the world Women and minorities have fought for their freedoms since the beginning of time, this fight is still seen today. Although the case of Missouri Ex Rel. Gaines v. Canada was listed in the changes the idea of the fight for equality is a good example of the fight still seen today. (http://www.blackpast.org/primary/missouri-ex-rel-gaines-v-canada-1938) Just as in America, protests and slogans such as “Black Lives Matter” are seen in Canada. The women's rights movement is also greatly seen in Canada.On January 21, 2017 nearly 110,000 canadians marched together for women's rights. (http://canadianwomenmarch.ca/) These protests reflect the same ideals as those back during the time of WWII. The ideals of fighting for equality no matter the cost. In the case of Missouri Ex Rel. Gaines v. Canada, the African American plaintiffs fought for weeks in order to gain education rights. Today the fight for basic equality has stretched on for years.
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