Activity 3: Topics and

Articles
Nathalie Brand
 Race, Law, and Public
Opinion insofar as the
Military and Politics is
concerned (WWI, WWII,
Korea, Vietnam)
World War I
The U.S. military was segregated for African Americans.
Blacks joining the military was highly opposed by white
supremacists. In the military, blacks had their own groups
that they were to be drafted into; draft board officials
were to tear off a small corner of service forms in order to
know who was who and where each person had to go (segregated
groups).
World War I
Two combat units were established for African American
soldiers (92nd and 93rd Infantry Divisions). These included
more than 300,000 black volunteers that served in the
American Expeditionary Force on the western front. One
combat unit also received the Croix de Guerre award from the
french for their bravery and combat skills (“Hell Fighters
from Harlem).
 World War I
Asian Americans were able to fight in integrated groups during
the war. Those who fought and were not citizens were able to gain
citizenship after fighting as a result of their service.

Hispanic American soldiers fought in the last segregated unit.

These were all soldiers who were of Puerto Rican, Latin American,
and Spanish descent.
World War II
At the entrance of the U.S. into WWII, the Jim Crow Laws
were in full swing. Whenever an African American enlisted or
was drafted into the military, they were normally given side
jobs rather than combat roles (cook, quartermaster,
grave-digging duty). Whenever it was time to eat, the
soldiers were separated by race and received food in
different lines. The Army Nurse Corps remained predominantly
white minus the 18 black females who were apart of it. It
took several years (nearly 40) to admit more black women
into the nurse corps; Eleanor Roosevelt and others pressured
for black females to be admitted.
World War II
After the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese Americans were
considered enemy aliens and were unable to be drafted into
the U.S. military. Japanese Americans were relocated to
internment camps as well. It took several years for Japanese
American men to have the ability to be drafted into the
military; but they were only able to join the army, no other
part of the military. Despite resistance from military and
War Relocation Authority leaders, the President eventually
sided with the War Department, and on February 1, 1943,
Roosevelt announced the creation of a segregated battalion
composed of Nisei soldiers and commanded by white officers.
World War II
75% of Chinese American soldiers served in non segregated
units. An estimated 13,000 Chinese-Americans served in WWII.
Two units consisted of only Chinese-Americans.
Korean War
In October 1953, towards the end of the Korean War, the Army
announced that 95% of African American soldiers were
fighting and serving in integrated units; whereas years in
the past, they fought in segregated units.
Article Analysis: In Another Country- Ernest Hemingway
“The boys at first were very polite about my medals and asked
me what I had done to get them. I showed them the papers,
which were written in very beautiful language and full of
fratellanza and abnegazione,(2) but which really said, with
the adjectives removed, that I had been given the medals
because I was an American. After that their manner changed a
little toward me, although I was their friend against
outsiders. I was a friend, but I was never really one of them
after they had read the citations, because it had been
different with them and they had done very different things to
get their medals. I had been wounded, it was true; but we all
knew that being wounded, after all, was really an accident.”
(Hemingway 2)
Article Analysis: In Another Country- Ernest Hemingway
The quote on the previous slide can embody the difference and
preference of race during wartime and fighting. The narrator
was presumably, a white American male officer. The boys he was
with were Italians from Milan, fighting the same war on the
same side. The narrator discussed how at first, the boys
respected him and the medals he received. But once they
learned how her received his medals, it seems as though they
lost a little respect for them. Because he was a white
American, he received his medals much more easily than the
boys did. They really had to work hard and fight well in order
to receive any recognition. It was hard to not be a white
American; it seems like being a white American means you have
it easier and you have to work/do less to earn more.
Article Analysis: Race Differences in Response To Combat Stress - Bonnie Green et al
“A number of authors have written poignantly about the Black experience
in the Vietnam War (Parson, 1985; Terry, 1984). Terry's oral history of
Black war veterans, Bloods, recounts, from the individual soldier's
perspective, aspects of the war experience that were uniquely painful for
Blacks, over and above the general disturbing nature of the war for all
soldiers. In particular, although racism in combat was not very
pronounced, many Blacks found racism at base camps quite apparent in
displays of rebel flags, questioning of bona fide rank and status, and
differential assignments to the “dirty” jobs. Further, some Blacks felt
that more dangerous combat assignments were given to them and that the
proportion of Blacks in the field to those at camp was higher than for
Whites. When Blacks returned to civilian life, their having served side
by side with Whites in combat had very little effect on the racism still
inherent in American society.” (Green 379-380)
Article Analysis: Race Differences in Response To Combat Stress - Bonnie Green et al
On the previous slide, there is a great amount of negativity
expressed towards blacks and being apart of combat. Many
traumas were faced by African Americans who fought in the
Vietnam War. While racism was experienced less during combat
and more at base camp, many blacks faced several traumas and
harsh treatments. They had to work “dirty jobs” at the base
camps. Some would say that during combat, there were more
Blacks present and they may have handled more of the
dangerous tasks in combat. But none of this changed the
treatment they dealt with when they returned home. They were
still discriminated against and considered inferior as they
were before the war.
Life and Lying
Lying is a very common thing that most people in the world
do; people from all walks of life and backgrounds have the
ability and do lie.

Frank Abagnale Jr. has become a highly regarded security

consultant, but got to this point in his life due to his
history and ability to lie and bend the truth.

Valerie Plame was a CIA agent who worked undercover and had
to lie throughout her entire career (due to her being an
undercover agent). Her work as a spy had taught her a lot
about politics and the White House and everything that goes
into fighting wars and decisions made in the duration.
Lying in Politics
The Watergate Scandal was a major lie from the President and
the White House, who failed to cover up the story and the
truth. President Nixon lied on national television about
being involved in the scandal. When the DNC headquarters
were broken into, the story was heavily investigated and
found the lies being told; they exposed the wiretaps, the
secret documents, and the hush money. This then led to
Nixon’s resignation before his inevitable impeachment.
Lying Ain’t Good
People lie to cover up reality and the truth. People lie
because they struggle to accept facts and be seen in a
proper light. They are afraid. People lie to cover up
sadness, annoyance, anger, etc. These lies all culminate to
form one overarching lie. Politicians lie to cover up
scandals and to possibly keep others in the dark. They may
lie about things involving war, like the severity of it, the
reason of it, how involved the country is, etc. Lying has
become such a common yet almost important concept that we
would struggle to live without. People lie about everything
in order to make something better or protect others.
Videos of Racism
https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/08/14/wwii-anti-racism-fi
lm-goes-viral-after-rally-orig-tc-2.cnn/video/playlists/worl
d-war-ii/

https://www.pbs.org/video/american-experience-birth-and-grow
th-racism-against-mexican-americans/

https://www.vox.com/2014/10/27/7062921/immigration-1900-race
-racism-quotas-eugenics-map-settled-united-states
Works Cited
African Americans in the Korean War, www.nj.gov/military/korea/factsheets/afroamer.html.

“The Birth and Growth of Racism against Mexican-Americans.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service,

www.pbs.org/video/american-experience-birth-and-growth-racism-against-mexican-americans/.

“Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum.” Desegregation of the Armed Forces,

www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/desegregation/large/index.php?action=bg.

“Honoring Black Korean War Troops.” Your Black World, 24 Mar. 2017,

yourblackworld.net/2017/03/26/honoring-black-korean-war-troops/.

Lind, Dara. “This Insanely Detailed Map Proves Race Is a Social Construct.” Vox, Vox, 17 Apr. 2015,

www.vox.com/2014/10/27/7062921/immigration-1900-race-racism-quotas-eugenics-map-settled-united-states.

Mitter, Rana. “Forgotten Ally? China's Unsung Role in World War II.” CNN, Cable News Network, 1 Sept. 2015,

www.cnn.com/2015/08/31/opinions/china-wwii-forgotten-ally-rana-mitter/index.html.
Works Cited
Nix, Elizabeth. “Why Were American Soldiers in WWI Called Doughboys?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2 Mar. 2016,

www.history.com/news/why-were-americans-who-served-in-world-war-i-called-doughboys.

Ray, Michael. “Harlem Hellfighters.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 9 Jan. 2019,

www.britannica.com/topic/Harlem-Hellfighters.

“WWII Anti-Racism Film Goes Viral after Rally - CNN Video.” CNN, Cable News Network, 14 Aug. 2017,

www.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/08/14/wwii-anti-racism-film-goes-viral-after-rally-orig-tc-2.cnn/video/playlists/world-war-ii/.

“Who Were the Harlem Hellfighters?” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 14 Nov. 2013,

www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/who-were-the-harlem-hellfighters/.

Race Differences in Response To Combat Stress by Bonnie Green et al

In Another Country by Ernest Hemingway