Countless Latinas joined the Army's WACS, the Navy's WAVES, or similar all-female auxiliary units associated with the U.S. The massive mobilization effort that the war required, moreover, ensured widespread participation from non-combatants. "American soldiers stand at attention," a lieutenant told him, "They never keep their hands in their pockets." Years later, Flores still marveled at the significance of the occasion in his estimation: "Nobody had ever called me an American before!" Private Armando Flores of Corpus Christi, Texas, for example, fondly recalled being rebuked for putting his hands in his pockets on a cold day during basic training. The result was massive Mexican American participation in World War II, the most recent estimate being that some 500,000 Mexican Americans served in the conflict For many, a novel sensation of belonging accompanied the experience. Often the children of immigrants who had entered in previous decades, they strongly identified with the country of their birth. were twice as likely to have been born and raised in the States than not. conflict from the American Revolution to the current conflict in Afghanistan.īy 1940, people of Mexican descent in the U.S.
Thus, advocates of Latino equality often note that Latinos have fought in every U.S.
Within this broader framework, military service provides unassailable proof that Latinos are Americans who have been proud to serve, fight, and die for their country, the U.S. August 1941Īt the heart of the modern Latino experience has been the quest for first-class citizenship. Soldiers of the 65th Infantry training in Salinas, Puerto Rico.
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