By Lora M. Key, Ph.D., Managing Editor, Journal of Arizona History, Arizona Historical Society
World War II was a watershed moment for Mexican Americans and their quest for equality—during the war, Mexican Americans served in the military and worked on the Home Front to support their country, and therefore, when it ended, were no longer willing to accept second-class citizenship. Mexican Americans across the Southwest used what they had learned in their war-time efforts and applied it to post-war activism, establishing and supporting Mexican-American organizations that advocated for their rights and challenged segregation and discrimination across the Southwest.
