Having lived in and around the Los Angeles area for most of his life, Kenneth E. Brooks likely would have seen many changes in the region. After Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government began to question the loyalty of the Japanese-American population living locally. Within a matter of weeks, Executive Order 9066 evacuated people of Japanese ancestry to relocation centers across the country. Brooks likely witnessed this before his enlistment.

Because California was a booming area, jobs were plentiful but there were not enough laborers to fulfill the need, especially after the Japanese population were forced to leave. In August 1942, the U.S. created the Bracero program, inviting laborers to temporarily move north using work visas.

Demographically, California’s cultural landscape would become more diversified, but it would also bring about ethnic tensions, especially between the numerous servicemen and the influx of Latino workers. These tensions would peak with the Zoot Suit Riots of June 1943. Mexicans who migrated to the U.S. brought all they had including a type of overcoat commonly referred to as a “zoot suit.” These suits used a large amount of fabric, which at the time was frowned upon and considered “un-American” due to the fact that the Army was in dire need of material for military uniforms. Tensions rose between enlisted military personnel and Mexican Americans, and riots began to break out.

Before enlisting, Kenneth likely saw Los Angeles transform its consumer economy into war-time production industries. The Los Angeles harbor accepted goods transported by rail and transported them to the Pacific theater. Rubber, steel, agricultural goods, munitions, and shipbuilding blossomed in the World War II era.