Vocab Quiz 3/10 Flashcards
(20 cards)
- Issei / Nisei
A. Definition:
Issei first-generation Japanese immigrants to the U.S. who were born in Japan. Nisei their American-born children, who were U.S. citizens by birth.
B. Significance:
These terms highlight the generational divide among Japanese Americans, particularly during World War II. While Issei were legally barred from becoming U.S. citizens, Nisei were often more assimilated but still faced discrimination.
C. Example:
Many Nisei, despite being U.S. citizens, were forcibly relocated to internment camps along with their Issei parents during World War II.
- EO 9066
A. Definition:
Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, authorizing the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans, as well as some Italian and German Americans, from designated military zones.
B. Significance:
This order led to the internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were U.S. citizens.
C. Example:
Fred Korematsu, a Nisei man, challenged EO 9066 in the Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States (1944), but the court upheld the order at the time.
- Internment Camps
A. Definition:
Internment camps were government-run facilities where Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated and confined during World War II following EO 9066.
B. Significance:
These camps were a major civil rights violation, reflecting racial prejudice and war-driven fear. Families lost homes, businesses, and personal freedoms.
C. Example:
Manzanar and Tule Lake were two of the largest internment camps where Japanese Americans were detained during the war.
- Redress Movement
A. Definition:
The Redress Movement was a political effort led by Japanese Americans and allies to seek reparations and a formal government apology for internment during World War II.
B. Significance:
This movement resulted in the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, in which the U.S. government officially apologized and provided monetary compensation to survivors of internment.
C. Example:
President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, granting $20,000 in reparations to each surviving Japanese American who had been interned.
- Fifth Columnists
A. Definition:
A “fifth columnist” refers to a person within a country who secretly supports an enemy and engages in espionage or sabotage.
B. Significance:
The fear of fifth columnists led to widespread suspicion of Japanese Americans, contributing to their internment.
C. Example:
Some newspapers and politicians falsely claimed that Japanese Americans were aiding Japan, reinforcing the call for internment.
- Code Talkers
A. Definition:
Code Talkers were Native American soldiers, primarily Navajo, who developed and used an unbreakable code for U.S. military communications during World War II.
B. Significance:
Their code was never broken by enemy forces and played a crucial role in the success of the U.S. in the Pacific Theater.
C. Example:
Navajo Code Talkers participated in major battles like Iwo Jima, where their coded messages helped ensure American victory.
- Zoot Suits
A. Definition:
Zoot suits were oversized, flashy suits with baggy pants and long coats, popular among Mexican American youth in the 1940s.
B. Significance:
Zoot suits became a symbol of cultural identity for young Mexican Americans but were also seen as unpatriotic due to wartime fabric rationing.
C. Example:
During the Zoot Suit Riots, military personnel and white civilians stripped and beat Mexican American men wearing zoot suits, while police arrested the victims instead of the attackers.
- Chicanos
A. Definition:
The term “Chicano” refers to Americans of Mexican descent, often associated with the civil rights and cultural pride movements of the 20th century.
B. Significance:
The term became a symbol of empowerment, especially during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s, which fought for labor rights, education reform, and an end to discrimination.
C. Example:
Chicano soldiers, despite their contributions in WWII, faced discrimination at home, leading to activism for civil rights in the postwar period.
- Bracero Agreement
A. Definition:
The Bracero Agreement (1942) was a labor contract between the U.S. and Mexico allowing Mexican workers to take temporary agricultural jobs in the U.S.
B. Significance:
It helped alleviate wartime labor shortages but also led to worker exploitation, poor wages, and difficult working conditions.
C. Example:
Bracero workers were often housed in poor conditions and paid less than American workers, leading to strikes and protests.
- Women’s Army Corps (WAC)
A. Definition:
The Women’s Army Corps (WAC) was a branch of the U.S. Army established in 1943 to allow women to serve in non-combat roles.
B. Significance:
WACs contributed to the war effort by serving in clerical, technical, and logistical roles, freeing men for combat.
C. Example:
By the end of WWII, over 150,000 women had served in the WAC, performing jobs such as mechanics, switchboard operators, and intelligence analysts.
- WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service)
A. Definition:
WAVES was the women’s branch of the U.S. Navy during World War II, established in 1942.
B. Significance:
WAVES allowed women to take over administrative and technical duties in the Navy, helping free men for combat roles.
C. Example:
Many WAVES worked in communications, code-breaking, and aviation mechanics, contributing to the war effort.
- WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots)
A. Definition:
WASPs were female pilots who flew non-combat missions to ferry aircraft, test planes, and train male pilots during World War II.
B. Significance:
WASPs played a crucial role in military aviation, proving that women could fly military aircraft.
C. Example:
In 1977, Congress finally granted veteran status to the WASPs, recognizing their service.
- March on Washington Movement
A. Definition:
The March on Washington Movement was a civil rights initiative led by A. Philip Randolph in the early 1940s to demand an end to segregation in defense industries and the military.
B. Significance:
The movement pressured President Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802, which prohibited racial discrimination in wartime industries and led to the creation of the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC).
C. Example:
Although the planned march was canceled after Roosevelt’s order, the movement inspired later events, including the famous 1963 March on Washington.
- Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC)
A. Definition:
The FEPC was created by Executive Order 8802 in 1941 to ban racial discrimination in defense industry hiring.
B. Significance:
The FEPC was the first federal effort to promote workplace equality. Although it faced resistance, it laid the groundwork for later civil rights legislation.
C. Example:
The FEPC investigated complaints of racial discrimination in wartime industries, though enforcement was limited in some areas.
- Jim Crow Army
A. Definition:
The term “Jim Crow Army” refers to the segregation of Black soldiers within the U.S. military during World War II.
B. Significance:
Despite serving their country, Black soldiers faced discrimination, were assigned menial jobs, and were often kept in separate units.
C. Example:
Black soldiers often faced hostility from white officers and were restricted from leadership roles despite their skills.
- Tuskegee Airmen (332nd Fighter Group)
A. Definition:
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps, trained at the Tuskegee Institute during World War II.
B. Significance:
They played a crucial role in breaking racial barriers in the military and proved that Black pilots could perform as well as white pilots.
C. Example:
The 332nd Fighter Group, part of the Tuskegee Airmen, escorted bombers in combat missions over Europe and had an impressive record of protecting Allied aircraft.
- Port Chicago Mutiny
A. Definition:
The Port Chicago Mutiny occurred in 1944 when 50 African American sailors refused to return to work after a massive explosion at a California naval base killed over 300 men.
B. Significance:
This event highlighted racial discrimination in the U.S. military, as Black sailors were often assigned the most dangerous tasks with little training.
C. Example:
Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP fought for the sailors’ exoneration, and in later years, the U.S. government acknowledged the injustice they faced.
- Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
A. Definition:
CORE is a civil rights organization founded in 1942 to use nonviolent protest against racial discrimination.
B. Significance:
CORE played a major role in desegregation efforts, including organizing sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and the 1963 March on Washington.
C. Example:
CORE organized a sit-in at a segregated Chicago restaurant in 1943, one of the first direct-action protests of the Civil Rights Movement.
- Rationing
A. Definition:
Rationing was the government-controlled distribution of scarce resources like food, gasoline, and rubber during World War II to support the war effort.
B. Significance:
Rationing ensured that soldiers had enough supplies while preventing shortages on the home front.
C. Example:
Americans received ration books with coupons for essentials such as sugar, meat, and fuel, limiting how much they could buy each month.
- Victory Gardens
A. Definition:
Victory gardens were homegrown food gardens encouraged by the U.S. government during World War II to supplement food supplies.
B. Significance:
These gardens helped prevent food shortages, reduced pressure on commercial agriculture, and boosted morale by giving citizens a way to contribute to the war effort.
C. Example:
Families, schools, and community groups planted victory gardens in backyards and public spaces, growing crops like tomatoes, carrots, and beans.
