War baby: Encyclopedia - War baby

War baby

In finance a war baby is a firm whose share price rises during wartime, often a defense contractor

A war baby usually refers to any child born during wartime, particularly during World War I or World War II. A particular connotation is often attached to the word — children born to civilian mothers but with foreign military fathers, especially soldiers. Even if this is the result of consensual sex, the casual nature of the relationship and lack of family planning means that this behaviour is usually condemned, especially if it involved "sleeping with the enemy" (as was the case with many Norwegians born to German fathers in the Second World War - see Nazi occupation of Norway; the ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad is an example of such a war baby). Even worse, it may also contain overtones of rape, either the result of an individual soldier's frustrations or as a systematically employed weapon of war. Mother Teresa expressed the Roman Catholic view that women pregnant for this reason following the Bangladesh Liberation War should not seek abortions, for which she has been heavily criticised.

A particularly well-known group of war-babies are the Amerasians — a term coined by author Pearl S. Buck for people fathered abroad by U.S. servicemen to women of Asian nationalities, especially in the Vietnam War. They are relatively fortunate in that they have a legally recognised identity which allows them easier access to visas and immigration to the United States. However, in their own societies, especially in places where racial purity is seen as traditionally important, they are likely to face discrimination. On some Pacific islands, a child born to a native woman fathered by a USA armed forces man is called a Malini: this word is a native pronunciation of "marine".

The term War Baby can also refer to an industry that has developed or experienced significant stimulation during war-time state intervention. The chemical as well as aviation industry, for example, were largely supported by orders from the federal government regarding development and production.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "War baby", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki