Glossary
442nd Infantry Regiment
A segregated unit of Japanese American soldiers during World War II, which became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history despite facing discrimination at home.
Example:
The bravery and sacrifice of the 442nd Infantry Regiment in Europe demonstrated the unwavering loyalty of Japanese Americans, even as their families were interned.
A. Philip Randolph
A prominent African American labor leader and civil rights activist who threatened a march on Washington in 1941 to protest racial discrimination in the defense industry.
Example:
A. Philip Randolph's planned march pressured President Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802, a significant step toward ending employment discrimination.
Arsenal of Democracy
A term coined by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to describe the United States' role in supplying war materials to Allied nations during World War II.
Example:
The United States became the Arsenal of Democracy, producing an unprecedented amount of tanks, planes, and ships to aid the Allied war effort.
Bracero Program
A series of agreements between the U.S. and Mexico that brought millions of Mexican guest workers to the United States to work in agriculture and other industries during WWII.
Example:
Under the Bracero Program, Mexican laborers filled critical agricultural labor shortages, helping to ensure food production during the war.
Double V Campaign
A slogan and drive to promote the fight for democracy abroad and against discrimination at home for African Americans during World War II.
Example:
The Double V Campaign highlighted the hypocrisy of fighting for freedom overseas while racial segregation and injustice persisted in the United States.
Executive Order 8802
A presidential order issued by FDR in 1941 that prohibited racial discrimination in the national defense industry, leading to the creation of the Fair Employment Practice Committee.
Example:
Thanks to Executive Order 8802, African Americans gained access to better-paying jobs in wartime factories, though discrimination still existed.
Executive Order 9066
A presidential order issued by FDR in 1942 that authorized the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans, including U.S. citizens, from the West Coast into internment camps.
Example:
Executive Order 9066 led to the unjust displacement of entire Japanese American communities, forcing them to abandon their homes and businesses.
Four Freedoms
Four fundamental human rights—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear—outlined by FDR as the ideological goals for which the Allies fought in WWII.
Example:
FDR's speech on the Four Freedoms helped rally American public support by framing the war as a defense of universal human rights against totalitarianism.
Korematsu v. United States
A 1944 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, a decision widely criticized today.
Example:
The Supreme Court's ruling in Korematsu v. United States affirmed the government's power to restrict civil liberties during wartime, even for citizens.
Liberty Ships
Mass-produced cargo vessels built during World War II, crucial for transporting troops and supplies across oceans.
Example:
Without the rapid construction of Liberty Ships, the Allies would have struggled to maintain supply lines to Europe and the Pacific.
Navajo Code Talkers
Native American Marines who used their native Navajo language to transmit secret tactical messages during World War II, a code that was never broken by the enemy.
Example:
The Navajo Code Talkers played an indispensable role in the Pacific theater, providing secure and rapid communication that baffled Japanese intelligence.
Office of Price Administration (OPA)
A government agency created during WWII to control consumer prices and rents, primarily through rationing, to combat inflation caused by wartime demand.
Example:
The Office of Price Administration set limits on how much retailers could charge for goods, helping to stabilize the economy during the war.
Rationing
A system of allocating scarce goods and resources, implemented during WWII to ensure essential supplies were available for the war effort and to prevent inflation.
Example:
Families received coupon books for rationing sugar, meat, and gasoline, reminding them daily of the sacrifices required by the war.
Rosie the Riveter
An iconic cultural symbol of American women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, producing munitions and war supplies.
Example:
The image of Rosie the Riveter with her flexed bicep became a powerful symbol of female strength and patriotism on the home front.
Tuskegee Airmen
The first African American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces, who fought in World War II and earned a distinguished combat record despite facing segregation.
Example:
The Tuskegee Airmen proved their exceptional skill and bravery by successfully escorting bombers on numerous missions, never losing a single bomber to enemy fighters.
WACs (Women's Army Corps)
A branch of the U.S. Army created during WWII that allowed women to serve in non-combat roles, freeing up men for combat duty.
Example:
A young woman might join the WACs to serve as a typist or mechanic, contributing directly to the war effort while wearing a military uniform.
WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots)
A civilian women's piloting organization during WWII whose members tested planes, ferried aircraft, and trained male pilots, freeing up male pilots for combat.
Example:
A WASP might bravely fly newly manufactured bombers across the country, ensuring they reached their designated airfields for combat deployment.
WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service)
The women's branch of the U.S. Naval Reserve during WWII, allowing women to serve in various support roles within the Navy.
Example:
A woman serving in the WAVES might work in communications or aviation, supporting naval operations from shore.
War Production Board (WPB)
A government agency established during WWII to oversee the conversion of industries from civilian to military production and manage the allocation of raw materials.
Example:
The War Production Board directed car manufacturers to stop making automobiles and instead produce tanks and aircraft.
War bonds
Debt securities sold by the government to finance military operations and other expenditures during wartime, allowing citizens to lend money to the government.
Example:
Many American families purchased war bonds to contribute financially to the war effort, seeing it as a patriotic duty.
Zoot Suit Riots
A series of violent clashes in Los Angeles in 1943 between white American servicemen and young Mexican Americans, often wearing 'zoot suits.'
Example:
The Zoot Suit Riots exposed underlying racial tensions and prejudice against Mexican Americans on the home front during the war.