Executive Order 8802 facts for kids
Executive Order 8802 was an important step taken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 25, 1941. Its main goal was to stop unfair treatment based on a person's race, religion, color, or where they came from. This order applied to jobs in America's defense industry. It also created the Fair Employment Practice Committee.
This was the first time the U.S. government took action to promote equal opportunity in jobs. It aimed to stop employment discrimination across the country. At the time, many people of Italian or German background faced challenges because of World War II. This was hurting the country's war effort and making people feel bad. President Roosevelt believed that all groups needed to work together to defend the nation.
He said that some workers were being kept out of defense jobs just because of their background. This was bad for the workers and for the country's unity. Civil rights leaders like A. Philip Randolph and Walter White had planned a big march in Washington, D.C. to protest this unfair treatment. They called off the march after President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802.
The order made sure that government agencies and defense companies treated everyone fairly. This included job training programs and all defense contracts.
Why Was This Order Needed?
Before the United States officially joined World War II, the government was getting ready for a possible war. This meant building up the country's defenses. Many people were needed to work in factories and other defense-related jobs. However, some people were being denied these jobs because of their race, religion, or national origin.
President Roosevelt and other leaders realized this was a problem. They knew that for the country to be strong, everyone needed to be able to contribute. Keeping skilled workers out of jobs because of unfair reasons hurt the war effort. It also went against the idea of a fair and democratic country.
How the Order Worked
Executive Order 8802 created the President's Committee on Fair Employment Practice (FEPC). This committee was part of the Office of Production Management. The FEPC's job was to make sure that defense industries followed the new rules.
The FEPC had several important tasks:
- It helped teach industries about the new rules against discrimination.
- It looked into complaints about unfair treatment.
- It took steps to fix problems when it found that discrimination had happened.
- It also gave advice to federal agencies and the President on how to make the order work best.
The order clearly stated that the United States wanted everyone to be part of the national defense program. It said that the country could only be strong if all groups worked together. It also said that it was wrong to keep workers out of jobs because of their race, religion, color, or where they came from. The order made it clear that employers and worker groups had a duty to treat everyone fairly.
It's important to know that this order focused on jobs in the defense industry and government. The U.S. military itself did not end segregation until 1948. That happened when President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981.
Executive Order 8802 was changed a few times during the war. After the U.S. joined the war, the FEPC moved under the War Production Board. Later, in May 1943, Executive Order 9346 was issued. This order made the FEPC an independent committee again. It also expanded its reach to include regular government programs. After World War II ended, the FEPC committee was closed down in July 1945.
This order was later replaced by Executive Order 9981 in 1948. Years later, new laws like Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Executive Order 11246 in 1965 made it illegal to discriminate in jobs and public places.
Impact on Mexican Americans
Mexican Americans also faced unfair treatment in jobs and public transportation. They were often treated very poorly. Executive Order 8802 was supposed to stop this discrimination in defense jobs. It created the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) to help.
While the FEPC helped African Americans get fair jobs, it often didn't do the same for Mexican Americans. This was partly because of America's foreign policy with Latin American countries. For example, the FEPC was supposed to hold public meetings to discuss complaints of discrimination. However, they often canceled these meetings at the last minute if Mexican Americans were involved. They worried that public knowledge of widespread discrimination might hurt America's "Good Neighbor Policy" with Latin American nations.
Even in programs like the Bracero Program, where Mexican workers came to the U.S., concerns about unfair treatment were often ignored for similar reasons. Mexican Americans born in the U.S. were often more willing to speak up about job problems. They were also more open to joining unions to fight against widespread discrimination.
