AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: World War II Home Front Conflicts (Day 249/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about World War II Homefront Conflicts as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Japanese American Grocer, Wikimedia Commons

Throughout World War II, swift social and economic changes challenged the status quo and exposed racial tensions in the nation.

Detroit Race Riot, National Park Service

As a result of the 2nd Great Migration of African Americans from the South to northern urban industrial centers, racial hostility grew. Continued segregation and discrimination in employment and housing led to major conflicts, including the Detroit Race Riot of 1943.

Armed Servicemen Patrol Downton, UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies

Also in 1943, tensions between servicemen and Mexican American youth erupted into the Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles. The clashes highlighted animosities and the unequal treatment of minority communities, as well as exacerbated racial stereotypes.

Dust storm at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, Wikimedia Commons

Perhaps, most notably, the incarceration of Japanese Americans through Executive Order 9066 relocated over 120,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps. This discriminatory policy violated the civil liberties of Japanese Americans and fueled tensions surrounding racial profiling and xenophobia.

During World War II, several conflicts displayed the domestic racial tensions that increased in the United States due to rapid social and economic changes.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Wartime Roles in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!