Since its beginnings, American musical theater has reflected the times and the people of the United States. The four plays, South Pacific, West Side Story, HAIR and Rent, illustrate the change and conflict of the 20th century. South Pacific and West Side Story accentuate the prejudices present in the 1940s and 1950s against Japanese and Hispanic populations, while HAIR reflects the 1960s resistance to the Vietnam War and Rent encompasses the 1990s struggle against AIDS and sexuality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The 1949 musical composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, South Pacific, tells the story of an American nurse during World War II who falls in love with a French plantation owner, but struggles to accept his mixed-race children and that of a young lieutenant who falls in love with a Tonkinese woman, but struggles to be with her because of the opinion of the people of her country. This success came four years after the end of World War II, illustrating how many Americans were questioning core American values, exploring issues of race and power. During World War II, many Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps (Robinson, 1). Although they were American citizens, they were treated as enemies because of their ethnicity. The bombing of Pearl Harbor instilled fear in Americans, which led to a lack of trust in Japanese Americans. This sentiment is expressed in the South Pacific song, "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught". The phrase "You must be taught to be afraid of people whose eyes are oddly made" expresses America's fear and prejudice towards those who look different from them, especially those from Asian countries. The South Pacific “makes a courageous statement against racial bigotry in general and institutional racism in the postwar United States in particular” (Knapp, 245). Through this musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein portray the fear that America felt through the nation and hatred. which developed because of this fear.West Side Story tells the story of two lovers associated with rival gangs in New York who try to be together despite the violence and hatred around them. This musical, originally directed by Jerome Robbins, with lyrics by. Stephen Sondheim and the music of Leonard Bernstein reflect the society of the 1950s. In the 1950s, America was the main stage of the civil rights movement. Prejudice and racism were strong throughout the country and greatly affected all Hispanic minorities. the American dream, but he quickly realized that America was a white man's country. In the song “America,” Anita sings, “Life is good in America,” and Bernardo responds, “If you’re all white in America.” These lines reflect the struggle that comes with the American dream, as it is a path paved with prejudice and unequal opportunity. Latinos, like other minorities, were considered second-class citizens, deprived of many basic freedoms enjoyed by the white population (Oja, 15). ) In 1958, a new influx of Cuban immigrants brought a new push toward white supremacy to an already white supremacist nation due to America's fear of being overrun by immigrants (Bach, 72) is an example. , as the Jets sing: "We hang a sign / Says 'No visitors allowed' / And we're not kidding!" The message of this song is.