union navy medal of honor civil war hispanicn forign born

Although this civil rights strategy reached its apotheosis during the World War II era among Mexican Americans, it continues to echo today. military engagement, Latino civil rights activists have insisted that wartime sacrifice merits peacetime equality. They also point to the significant number of Medals of Honor bestowed upon this group (44 at last count) as well as numerous other honors. Although dissenting voices among Latinos have appeared on occasion, ethnic leaders over the years have fashioned a civil rights strategy that blends equal parts ethnic pride and patriotism.

conflict from the American Revolution to the current conflict in Afghanistan. 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. society.Īt the heart of the modern Latino experience has been the quest for first-class citizenship. For all these reasons, Latinos have not only taken tremendous pride in their record of military service, they have also adroitly used their status as soldiers and veterans to advance the equal treatment and integration of Latinos within U.S. Racially, Latinos trace their ancestry to Europe, the Americas, and Africa and, consequently, have long struggled to be recognized as the equals of whites in the U.S. Politically, most Latinos by conquest soon shifted their allegiance to the U.S., a pattern that has prevailed among successive generations of immigrants from Cuba, Mexico, and, more recently, the countries of Central America. Historically, Latinos first entered the United States in significant numbers through war, first in 1848 in a war against Mexico and then in 1898 at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. The essay also discusses the economic and social significance of military service to American Latinos.Ĭulturally, Latinos come from places that have long valued a tradition of military service. This American Latino Theme Study essay focuses on Latinos in the United States military during the wars of the late 19th and entire 20th centuries as well as the peacetime roles of American Latino soldiers and veterans.

Union navy medal of honor civil war hispanicn forign born