Impact of World War I on Minorities
African Americans:
World War I was a transformative moment in African-American history. What
began as a seemingly distant European conflict soon became an event with revolutionary
implications for the social, economic, and political future of black people. The war directly
impacted all African Americans, male and female, northerner and southerner, soldier and
civilian. Migration, military service, racial violence, and political protest combined to make the
war years one of the most dynamic periods of the African-American experience.
Hispanic Americans: Over 500,000 served in the Armed forces in Europe, North Africa.
Supported by American Unions where the War Labor Board mediated disputes instead of
workers striking, which would disrupt war efforts.
Women: large numbers of women were recruited into jobs vacated by men who had gone to
