Mexican American Women In The Harsh Time

Women in the Harsh Time

The Great Depression, the biggest economic recession during 1929 to 1933, and the World War II, the global war during 1939-1945 could be the most catastrophe events during the middle of 20 century. The impact of these events deeply influenced each family. In America, people lost their jobs in the depression, and even their life in the World War. However, there are two groups of people, Chinese American women, and Mexican American women, who both experienced an upward economic mobility, and rise in social status during those harsh time.

The Great Depression started at the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The crash of stock market made lots of people broke. Then a series of chain reaction broke the economy. People began to lose

Even though there was an advantage of Chinese immigrant that most of them live in Chinatown, “which provided them with essential foods and services as well as jobs that relied primarily on trade with China” (chapter 4,4). A family without income could not survive. The statics shows that the unemployment rate of men was outnumbered women; therefore, the women in the family became the backbone of the family, “they often kept the family alive” (,15). The hard work of Chinese American women made their family survive. During the day, they worked hard, and during the night, they needed to take care of their family. They were the emotional support of the whole family, they kept the family together, but the discrimination still exists. Sometimes, the husband will bully their wife just because they have bad temper, most women chose to bear it for

Same as the Chinese American women, the wages of Mexican American women also remained low during the Great Depression. The change started at the begin of the World War II, 1939, military companies started to recruit the labors to make weapons, and other military materials. After hired a lot of people, they found out they have labor shortages. “After pursuing the Euro-American labor force, employers turned also to black and Mexican women” (chapter3, 2). The change of jobs made lots of Mexican women happy because they could have chance to leave the dirty works in the sweatshops, and fields, but still made the money. Still, the discrimination of women from men and society exists, like a husband did not believe that his wife could work, and the unfair treatment from the companies they worked for. However, these things got better when the organization like FEPC being established to protect their right. There is one difference between Chinese American women and Mexican American women that Mexican American women expressed more patriotism. The job in the aircraft company is hard, but a Mexican American woman, Purdy, thought that she “didn’t go to work because of money, she would like to help her country, even if it is hard work” (chapter3, 4). The money earned by these Mexican American women, and the contribution they did for American to win the war