Title: Latinos in World War II: Fighting on Two Fronts (U.S. National Park Service)
Headings: Latinos in World War II: Fighting on Two Fronts
Latinos in World War II: Fighting on Two Fronts
Proving Valor in War Seeking Equality Back Home

Content: Latinos in World War II: Fighting on Two Fronts (U.S. National Park Service)
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Latinos in World War II: Fighting on Two Fronts
Proving Valor in War Seeking Equality Back Home
Soldiers of the 65th Infantry training in Salinas, Puerto Rico. August 1941
United States Army
At the heart of the modern Latino experience has been the quest for first-class citizenship. 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. Thus, advocates of Latino equality often note that Latinos have fought in every U.S. conflict from the American Revolution to the current conflict in Afghanistan. By 1940, people of Mexican descent in the U.S. were twice as likely to have been born and raised in the States than not. Often the children of immigrants who had entered in previous decades, they strongly identified with the country of their birth. 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. 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. " American soldiers stand at attention," a lieutenant told him, "They never keep their hands in their pockets."