Impact of WWI on American Minorities - Essay Example

The southern African Americans faced a great deal of problems in 1915-16, They were denied the right to vote, lived under severe poverty, and faced crop infestation which affected them greatly as most of them were occupational farmers, and most importantly they lived under heavy debt. Lack of facilitation and opportunities in the south prompted them to migrate to the north where the urban areas had flourished in the wake of the war. Since Europe was in the midst of a severe war that had haltered its economic progress, the United States became the facilitator in this case for the war-torn countries. As a result not only did it strengthen economically, but it also hosted several quality and well-paying jobs, a feature absent in the South (Exhibitions.nypl.org). The war had opened many avenues for them in the economic world of production and services and hence, the southern blacks moved to the north in search of greener pastures. This migration is known as the greatest migration in history and played a great role in revolutionizing the black community in the United States.

The female black population of the United States was positively affected as well. They contributed to the war efforts and as a result, were able to get equitable jobs in the country as well. They became politically active as well and provided significant support to the black soldiers as a result. Many war service organizations specifically for women were also established like the Red Cross, Women's Auxiliary of the New York 15th National Guard, etc., and thus, they were accepted as a strong opinionated part of the American population. Many instances also depict the increased employee sense that these minorities developed and retaliated against their white employees for due employee rights they were denied.

Where the black Americans saw progress and growth during wartime, another minority faced dire consequences. The majority of the American population consisted of foreigners. Even though the German-Americans and Irish-Americans s of that time emphasized on neutrality of the United States and protested against its siding with the allies in the form of weapon and war support. Since the US was working with the allies, Britain, etc., it had a great effect on the German population of America. The search for spies and militants within the country ensued and soon anti-German sentiments took their toll. Many public schools stopped teaching German, German newspapers were closed down and German churches stopped giving services (Www15.uta.fi). The ethnic tension as a result of the American inclination toward the Allies greatly hampered the progress of German culture and identity in the United States.