Great Depression
The Great Depression of 20th-30th influenced differently on the U.S. citizens. Each family had own conditions, depending on status and place of work of its members. Approximately forty percent of the U.S. citizens, who were rich enough didn't feel the impact of the economic crisis. It is obvious that these forty percent were white, whose status had always been high. As for the working class and the middle class, their situation was hard, but the minorities in general suffered even worse than other social groups.
When the stock market crashed, many Americans lost all their savings intended for simple needs, education and other expenses. Moreover, enterprises began to close and many people lost their jobs.
The American family changed dramatically during the years of the Depression. Families suffered from income losses and had to turn to relatives and friends to survive together. Some people tried to pull together in order to overcome difficulties. But after all sources had been exhausted, people unwillingly started looking for help of the government. Other families couldn't go through hard times together and broke apart. The birth rate drastically decreased. Those, who had unhappy marriages, had to keep being married, because it was quite expansive to divorce. People couldn't afford to pay fees and live separately.
Traditional order of family life changed during the years of the Depression. Those men, who had lost their jobs, had to rely on their wives and children. So many men felt helpless and embarrassed, because they couldn't be breadwinners anymore.
Desperate men had to steal food in order to survive. People were forced to look for food in dumps or eat unusual products (for example weeds, turtles). Women, who traditionally stayed home taking care of children and keeping house, now had to search for work to provide their families with food and clothes. The common jobs for women at that time were nursing, office work, teaching, domestic services and jobs on manufactures.
Children also had to work whether at home, cooking and cleaning, or outside their homes, providing their families financially. So many of them had no normal childhood, because they were forced to think like adults and be responsible for their families. This new style of living has changed roles of family members. The years of Depression began a long-term trend of women working outside their homes.
Some families were so poor that couldn't pay their rent anymore. Those people, whose situation was the worst, had to leave their houses and live on the street. So they were forced to live in shacks, made of boxes, paper or cupboards.
The Great Depression was a hard challenge for white Americans, but it was much harder for racial minorities - African and Asian Americans, Mexican and Native Americans. It was a period of suffering and lost opportunities for getting social and economic equality. These workers were not among preferable candidates for job even when American economy was "normal". When white business owners lost their properties, conditions for minorities became worse. If the level of unemployment among white U.S. citizens was about 25 percent, among African Americans it was nearly half of working population.
In times of the Great Depression incidents of racism were frequent. People fought for jobs and this overall severe mood affected on the national minorities that became even more oppressed. For example, many Mexican Americans simply were illegally deported in order to reduce competition for jobs. Most minorities didn’t agree with this situation and required justice and equality. For example Mexican Americans defended their rights in courts.
The Great Depression has changed the American family, relationship between people. Society has become one step closer to equality and justice in many aspects, particularly in regard to racial and gender relations. This dramatic period furthered the process of creation American social oriented society. People learned to battle against circumstances and assert their rights.
