Nightlife In The 1930s Essay

The Progressive era of the 1920s was setting up for the devastation that would come in the next decade. The United States continued to become bigger, more efficient, and more modern each year. “Get-rich-quick” and “buy now pay later” were new concepts that Americans were consuming in large scales. Then the stock market crashed in October of 1929, banks failed, purchasing reduced, and unemployment rose which inevitably began the 10-year Depression. Many people would think that culture could not flourish during these times, but that is not the case. During the great Depression, culture grew within many different ethnic groups in America.

Nightlife in the 1930s went through some substantial changes. In the 1920s and early 1930s nightclubs were

viewed as “the lax moral standards of urban life” by rural Americans. In 1920, the 18th amendment was passed (also known as Prohibition) which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol within the United States.

For those who disagreed with Prohibition, it appeared to be the national government imposing religious morals and values onto American society through legislation. As a result, speakeasies were invented as nightclubs that sold liquor in violation of Prohibition. The owners of speakeasies and those who supplied illegal alcohol called “bootleggers” gained large profits during Prohibition. However, once the Depression hit, many nightclubs were running out of business and it appeared that the nightlife culture was collapsing. In December of 1933 the industry was saved by the 21st amendment which repealed prohibition. The economy was still in shambles, but the return of alcohol gave new life to New York’s nightclubs. It was during this time that nightlife became legitimized into American culture. By 1935 the industry was beginning to return with the help of New Deal policies and repeal, with the hope that liquor sales would help regrow the economy. New York returned as the amusement center of America, but the culture began to spread and soon places like Chicago,

Cleveland, Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Denver, and many other large cities. Once the nightclubs could legally serve alcohol, the prior stigma around them began to melt away. Even movie studios began allowing celebrities to visit clubs which drew in crowds of tourists to specific places where the stars had VIP rooms. Nightclubs not only expanded, but changed as well. Advertising a club became easier with radio commercials, newspaper ads, and large billboards that brought the attention to your business to millions of people. Despite the hardships of the Depression, nightlife culture thrived and grew to be an accepted part of American society.
Prior to the 1920s immigration was at a peak in history, with little to no restrictions. Any white person who wished to come to America could. Then, in the 1920s, citizens began pressing for immigration restrictions because they began fearing the formation of immigrant radicalism. While their fear surpassed their desire for cheap labor, machines were also replacing manual work and the Great Migration of World War I brought thousands of African-Americans looking for work. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge passed the Immigration Act of 1924. The law limited European immigration to 150,000 per year and It permanently banned entry from all Asian countries except the Philippines. President Herbert Hoover became elected in 1928, then the Depression hit in 1929 and was in full effect by 1930. President Hoover responded to the declining economy and high unemployment by keeping his faith in voluntary actions by businesses and charity to control investment and employment. He made matters worse by increasing taxes on imported goods, which decreased the purchasing power of Americans. Displeased with President Hoovers actions, Franklin D. Roosevelt became elected as President in 1932. President Roosevelt went on to create “New Deals”, which were a series of policy reforms of mostly government aide to help bring the country out of the Depression. During this time, President Roosevelt believed in civil rights and wanted America to unite and end persecution of immigrants. Despite his efforts, barriers remained between immigrants and Americans. With the eruption of WWII, America’s attention was focused solely on Europe, so they were caught by surprise when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This led to the internment of Japanese-Americans in the summer of 1942. One would think that in times like these, Japanese-American culture could not grow, but that is not the case.
Sports are a big part of Japanese culture, but in America, immigrants and non-whites were not allowed to play on white teams.

Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1893, and quickly became a popular sport in the country. A Japanese colony in Livingston, California called Yamato Colony created their own baseball team in the 1920s called the Livingston Peppers. Then as the players grew older the team disappeared, but the Nisei (American born children of Japanese immigrants) formed a new team called the Livingston Dodgers. From the 1934 to 1941 the Central Valley Japanese League had 8 teams that were sponsored by local churches and merchants. Teams were so close that they even helped each other on their farms so everyone could make games. Sports was a way for these people to forget about what was happening in the world around them for a few hours and enjoy healthy competition. It became a huge part of the culture within the Japanese colony and a way to find acceptance within American society. Then Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the Japanese in Yamato Colony knew they were going to be targeted. Executive Order 9066 was passed in 1942 and over 110,000 Japanese-Americans were distributed into ten different internment camps in desolate parts of the country. Many players from the Livingston Dodgers, Cortez Wildcats, and other communities found themselves placed together in Merced Assembly Center. Many players had brought with them their uniforms and equipment, so the organization

of teams was very simple and they began to play on a field located within their center. In 1943 the group of 4,453 Japanese living in Merced were moved to a more permanent site in Granada, Colorado called Amache. The conditions were horrible with not enough sleeping room, poor plumbing, not enough building materials, and located in an uninhabitable wasteland. Regardless, baseball began again and the Japanese played the sport, as well as many others, until the day they were released in 1945. The ethnic pride the Japanese held helped them to survive the tribulation of the camps and grow their culture during a time of unbelievable hardship.
During the 1930s America went through the largest and longest-lasting economic downturn in history. The Great Depression was a result of many different and complex aspects that drove unemployment up to a high of 25% and left millions of Americans in poverty. During this time, when people have little to nothing to their name, culture becomes a huge part of everyday life. Things such as baseball and alcohol were ways for Americans to forget about their lives for a while. This growth of culture was important for uniting Americans and helped make a challenging time seem more bearable. Many of the cultural changes that occurred during the Depression carried over throughout the years and can still be seen today. It goes to show that culture is important to have when one has nothing else.