Mexican Americans in World War II

World War II

• 500,000 Latinos served. Most of them were Mexican Americans.
• Mexican Americans fought with the Navy and Marines.

Sergeant José López, a Mexican American soldier, held off dozens of German soldiers so that his men could retreat. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery.

Prejudice

• Many Mexican Americans were victims of prejudice, even soldiers who were fighting in the U.S. military.
• There is irony in the fact that the Nazis were prejudiced to the Jews and Americans were prejudiced to Mexican Americans.

Prejudice Part II

• Even though Mexican Americans were fighting for our country they still experienced major prejudice, which is unfair.

Mexican Americans in the U.S. during WWII

• Many Mexican Americans moved to cities. They often lived in poor, mostly Mexican neighborhoods called barrios.
• Lots of Mexican Americans wore zoot suits, which white Americans associated with gang culture. This is another example of prejudice.

Bracero Program

• Helped American farmers by hiring Mexican Americans as farmworkers.
• Lots of farmers loved the program because it allowed farmers to take advantage of cheap labor.
• A lot of Mexican Americans weren't happy because they were not getting paid for all the hours they worked or they were treated unfairly.

Trent, Adrian, Kohl