What does the phrase American way mean?
The start of World War II in the 1940s set off a chain reaction of events in America. A new paranoid culture fearing the “domino theory” effect of communism, another Pearl Harbor like attack, and plain social division took root, prompting irrational behavior from the United States government and its people, such as sending citizens of Japanese descent to internment camps, and encroaching on First Amendment rights of other minorities. The 1940s were a time of major change, and in America, maintaining an undivided society, free of radical political ideals and racial tension, meant imposing on the rights of minorities.
President Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066[1] was a direct imposition on the constitutional liberties’ immigrants are promised upon entering the United States. Hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, over twelve hundred members of the Japanese community were arrested by the FBI without evidence, and after Order 9066 was enacted, thousands more Japanese American citizens were forced to report themselves to internment camps[2].
This discriminatory policy was justified through a context of necessity during wartime. “Hardships are part of war… and, in time of war, the burden is always heavier.”[3] Through concealing this profoundly racist order under the guise of war time needs and national security, its preposterous racism was somewhat justified. After Pearl Harbor, racial tensions between Japanese Americans and the rest of society were at a high, creating yet another racial divide. Isolating an entire racial population in internment camps prevented more internal hostility within the United States, but ultimately, at the cost of a minority group.
The introduction of the American Way into society painted America as a utopia.
A utopia here anything was possible, but the growing frustration in the still-struggling proletariat was a threat. “The American Way” was advertised by corporate leaders as a civil, equalized, and diverse way of life. New political systems such as communism, fascism, and socialism were growing in popularity. And were perceived to “threaten the U.S. not only externally, but internally as well.”[1] Internally, new ideas were brewing. In the case of Abrams v. United States, five Russian socialists printed leaflets with anti-capitalist sentiments, such as “‘There is only one enemy of the workers of the world and that is CAPITALISM.’”[2]
The American Way became founded with the guiding principles of capitalism in mind, that hard work is the key to success. As time went on, the proletariat realized this may not be the case, and corporate and government leaders were becoming aware of this restlessness. The Sedition Act of 1918, established to control radical thinkers and government critics[3], overtook the defendants’ First Amendment right to free speech, and federal court granted each defendant twenty years in prison.
The Lavender Scare was another way for the United States to tie communism to a shunned minority, homosexuals.
Senator Joseph McCarthy’s infamous list of federal employees with communist ties included two homosexual employees. Prompting a witch hunt for more homosexual government employees. [4], As “public perception of homosexuality shared many similarities with the public view of communists.”[1]
Countless members of the LGBT community became forced out of their jobs. Being marked as untrustworthy on behalf of the fact that if LGBT employees:
“were living double lives, then they may not be loyal nor mentally stable enough to keep government secrets.”[2]
Maintaining the appearance of the “American Way”, an undivided, diverse, equal society in America. In times of such major change came at the price of rights of minority groups. Demonizing different political ideologies to maintain the elite class’ hold on society came at the cost of First Amendment rights. Mirroring policy in a communist country such as China, where government critique becomes met with censorship. History repeats itself in 2016 when a “Muslim ban” became established under the cover of national security.
Resources:
- History.com Editors, “Japanese Internment Camps,” History.com, last modified October 29, 2009, accessed February 18, 2021, https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/japanese-american-relocation. [2] History.com Editors, “Japanese Internment,” History.com.
- Korematsu v. United States.
- Wendy L. Wall, Inventing the “American Way”, 6.
- Wall, Inventing the “American, 3.
- History.com Editors. “Red Scare.” History.com. Last modified June 1, 2010. Accessed February 18, 2021. https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/red-scare#section_1.
- Gleason, “LGBT History,” National LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
- James Gleason, “LGBT History: The Lavender Scare,” National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, last modified October 3, 2017, accessed February 18, 2021, https://www.nglcc.org/blog/lgbt-history-lavender-scare. [2] Gleason, “LGBT History,” National LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
