"Whereas the war industries and the military services of the United States have absorbed a large number of agricultural workers, creating an acute shortage of labor in the fields... the United States and the Republic of Mexico have agreed to facilitate the temporary migration of Mexican farmworkers to assist in harvesting crops."
— U.S. Department of Agriculture report on the Bracero Program, 1942
The program described in the excerpt was created primarily to address which of the following challenges on the United States home front during World War II?
- AA push by the federal government to establish a purely laissez-faire economic system in agriculture
- A shortage of labor in key domestic sectors caused by wartime mobilizationAnswer
- CThe failure of New Deal relief programs to reduce high unemployment rates in rural areas
- DA desire to transition toward absolute diplomatic and economic isolationism from neighboring nations
Answer
A shortage of labor in key domestic sectors caused by wartime mobilization
The correct answer describes how wartime mobilization led to labor shortages, which the Bracero Program addressed. As millions of American men joined the military or took high-paying defense factory jobs, agricultural sectors faced a critical shortage of workers. The bilateral agreement between the United States and Mexico allowed temporary agricultural workers to fill this void.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
World War II agricultural labor shortages and the Bracero Program
Estimated Time:45s