Chapter 30.2: Ethnic Minorities Seek Equality

3. Why were Asian Americans fighting discrimination during the 60s? What advances did they make? Be sure to identify the following in your answer: Japanese American Citizens League.

• Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) - organization of Japanese Americans working to promote the rights of Asian Americans
• they wanted compensation for the losses during WWII and for the discrimination because of the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as for the internment camps
• Asian Americans made economic gains faster than other minorities
• when Hawaii became a state in '59, Asian Americans gained a voice in congress: Hiram Leong Fong, a Chinese American, went to the Senate; Daniel K. Inouye, a Japanese American, went to the House of Representatives

Was the Kennedy assassination a conspiracy?

There is no possible or reasonable explanation that could persuade me to believe that John F. Kennedy's assassination was a conspiracy formed by the CIA, FBI, or any organized crime. First of all, after forty-four years of investigation by countless researchers, not one piece of credible evidence was found to support this theory. Sure, these groups had a motive: Members of the anti-Castro cause were infuriated by JFK's betraying the anti-Castro clause; however, there is no evidence to support that they did, in fact, assassinate him. Moreover, there are over fifty-three found pieces of evidence that irresistibly point to Lee Harvey Oswald and his guilt. His weapon was his own $12 mail-order rifle, hardly the equipment used by an expert shot. He was the only employee who fled the Texas School Book Depository after the shooting, killing a Dallas police officer forty-five minutes later and then, thirty minutes after that, he resisted arresting and pulled his gun on the arresting officer. If he were the shooter for the conspirators, wouldn't they have had a car waiting for him to bring him to a secluded hide-out or, more likely, bring him to his death? His defense was merely a string of provable lies, which all pointed to his guilt. How is anyone supposed to believe that fifty-three pieces of evidence that lead to this guilt could possibly make Oswald innocent? He was an unreliable, emotionally unstable misfit who had previously tried to commit suicide after the Soviets rejected his hopes of citizenship. How is anyone to believe in this conspiracy theory considering Oswald’s state of mind, lack of expert shooting skills and the fact that after forty-three years not one word of this alleged conspiracy leaked out? Surely no rational person can believe this, when the evidence against this theory is overwhelming to the dismal evidence, or lack thereof, that point to there being a conspiracy.

"The Butter Battle Book"

In Dr. Seuss' "The Butter Battle Book," there are many similarities between the book and the Cold War. In the book, the Yooks and the Zooks were divided by the way they ate their bread: the Yooks ate their bread with the butter side up, while the Zooks ate their bread with the butter side down. Both sides were defending which way was the best way to eat their bread, and began to compete using weapons. Once the Yooks came up with a new-and-improved weapon, the Zooks soon developed their own weapon that was exactly the same as the Yooks'. This is similar to the arms race that developed between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, where each side built up arms to gain weapon superiority. In the book, there was also a wall that divided the Yooks from the Zooks, which symbolizes the iron curtain which "divided" the communist nations from other non-communist nations. Also, the end of the book did not actually have an end; both the grandfather of the story and another Zook were standing on top of the wall, ready to drop their tiny bombs on the other side. Dr. Seuss leaves the story with a cliffhanger, since there was no actual end to the Cold War, since it was only political and economic tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union and not an actual war.

Kennan Excerpt

In this excerpt, "The Sources of Soviet Conduct," written by X (George F. Kennan) from Foreign Affairs, 1947, Kennan discusses the conduct of the Soviet Union and how it relates to communism and the United States. In the first paragraph, Kennan says that the main element of any United States policy concerning or towards the Soviet Union must involve a patient but firm containment of Russian expansive tendencies. He states that the U.S. should view Russia as a rival, not a partner, due to the fact that Soviet policies reflect no real faith in the possibility of a permanent, happy coexistence of the Socialist and capitalist worlds. Soviet policies reflect a persistent pressure toward the disruption and weakening of all rival influence and rival power. Kennan also says that Russia is the weaker party, and that its society may contain deficiencies which will eventually weaken is own total potential. Kennan tells the reader that American behavior alone cannot bring about the early fall of the Soviet power in Russia, but has in its power the ability to increase the strains under which Soviet policy must operate.

Was Truman justified?

Truman's decision to drop the bombs on Japan was a long and difficult task. Though there were several options, none of them were a definite choice which would save not only resources and time, but also casualties. Japan was well-informed of the United States' option of dropping the atomic bombs, yet its military refused to cooperate and surrender before innocent lives were taken. Dropping the bombs was immoral and inhumane, but at that moment in time it seemed like the best option as it would get Japan to surrender, as well as securing an Allied victory for World War II. Truman's decision was truly a difficult one, and not many people can say that they had to make a choice like that which would subsequently alter history and harm innocent civilians. Though he may receive much criticism as well as acclaim, he made the best possible choice he could have.

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It's been almost a month now, and I still can't believe my baby brother is at war fighting for our country. I try to listen carefully for any news and updates on the war, praying that little Bobby is safe. Things at home haven't been improving. We're still scraping by with our rations. I can feel my shoe slowly grow a hole in its sole, but my husband Johnny says that we can't buy any new clothes. I've decided that instead of wallowing because of my distaste in wardrobe, I'll buy more books to read. I've already read three in the past few weeks, but it's all I can do to keep my mind off my growling stomach. I've tried to create a garden in the back-yard, but the soil is less than desirable for growing tomatos and carrots. Johnny's leaving for work now, he's finally gotten a job helping in the production of B-24 Liberator bombers at the new factory built by The Ford Motor Company. I guess they're also building ships, but I keep myself busy at home with the cooking and cleaning. His wages are going up, so now there's more money for the necessities.