Los Angeles During World War II

Los Angeles experienced a population explosion during World War II. Airplane factories such as Donald Douglas, Lockheed and Northrop were producing 80% of the warplanes for the British and French before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Once the U.S. entered the war, they were churning out planes 24/7. The need for workers led to new opportunities for Blacks, Hispanics, and women but racism and sexism were still prevalent. In this presentation, we’ll look at how the fear of a Japanese invasion of L.A. led to nightly blackouts, air-raid drills, rationing and the internment of thousands of Japanese that Americans feared were enemies. We’ll also look at the Hollywood movies that fostered patriotism and the songs that cheered up soldiers and civilians alike. We’ll conclude with a view of how the war changed L.A. for the future; sprawling suburbs, crowded freeways and the first smog alerts. 

Sharon Boorstin is a contributing writer for the Los Angeles Times, specializing in lifestyle, food and travel. In 2019 she won Visit California’s Eureka Award for Best Newspaper Travel Article. In the ‘90s she edited the annual Gayot Guidebooks for Los Angeles and other cities. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Boorstin moved to Los Angeles in 1966 after earning a California Lifetime Teaching credential at UC Berkeley.

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