History remembers the soldiers and the leaders who lead countries through wars. For example, people remember the soldiers and the leaders who were involved in World War I and II. It is very rare for people to think about the people who were left at the homefront. These are people who remained in their home countries, trying to move on with everyday life despite the wars. This essay looks at how World War II affected the lives of those left at the homefront.
From the provided excerpt, one thing is clear. The people who remained at home also had to change their lives to suit the war. For example, ‘She is a Wow’ and the U.S Employment Service posters show women doing manual labor. They had to start working in order to put food on the table. In addition to this, they also embraced the empowerment that came about from the employment service. The message on the posters is stressed by Lewis, a Negro, who worked as a riveter and a bucker during the war. Before the war, women were either helps or stayed at home to raise a family. The war forced them to get to work, make money, and take charge of their lives.
On the same note, the people left at the homefront had to work together in order to survive. The race was still a major concern for many states. However, because slavery had ended, the darker races were free to look for work. It suffices to mention that the darker races were still segregated. For example, the League of United Latin American Citizens explains that Mexicans were not allowed into America when they came back from the war.
Thus, in every sense, the Mexicans had been used to help America win the war, but they were not welcome into the country. The segregation was very intense and spread through propaganda posters. For example, the ‘Keep this horror from your home’ poster shows a black man attacking a white woman. The poster is meant to make the community buy war bonds. However, using a black man to refer to the ‘horror’ highlights the stereotype that members of the black population are violent and dangerous.
It is true that many people in the homefront, regardless of race, expected the war to change their lives. Lewis explains that she knew her job as a riveter/bucker would come to an end after the war, but she would work hard to make as much money as possible before that happened.
It suffices to mention that without knowing it, the League of United Latin American Citizens was foreshadowing future problems in American society. Even to date, the race is still a big issue in America. Other races have been used to satisfy the needs of the Caucasians. For example, the Mexicans have been invited to America by the job market and are given very little pay for services rendered. Thus, they are helping American society develop its economy when they are not considered citizens and not paid enough.
In conclusion, the excerpts were given indeed show that there were changes experienced in the homefront during the war. For example, women were encouraged to apply for jobs in the industries. Additionally, the issue of segregation became more apparent during the war. They used discrimination and propaganda to attract clients and make a profit, given that business was booming for some industries.