Embedded Files
During WWIIAn estimated 500,000 Mexican-American males and females served in the war. Mexicans made up the largest groups of Hispanics in the armed forces -were also followed by 65,000 Puerto Ricans. These Mexican Nationals made about 14,943 residents, mainly in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Which was made possible by the Bilateral Military Agreement in 1943 between Mexico and the U.S. During the War, Mexican nationals, for the first time felt equal to the Anglo American. This feeling of equality gave high hopes to these veterans about equal treatment when it was time to go home. However, that did not ensure equal treatment of Mexicans and Mexican Americans during and after serving. After they served, Mexican Americans had a high sense of patriotism after serving for their country and were willing to die for it. They were proud to have served and their ideas of manhood had a significant increase.
"Soldiers of the 65th Infantry training in Salinas, Puerto Rico. August 1941
United States Army" (https://www.nps.gov/articles/latinoww2.htm)
Post-WWII
After the war was over, many of these veterans had hoped to go back to their homes. With the hope of receiving that same feeling of equality that they had once felt during the war. But that wasn't the case. Many, even honored, veterans returned home facing the same discrimination and racial prejudice as before the war. This prejudice and racial discrimination made life difficult for veterans and their families because many basic opportunities were limited solely because they were Mexican. These limited opportunities were getting denied service at public establishments like restaurants, discriminatory policies in movie theaters, and any other place that only served White Anglo Americans.
(NBC News)
Macario Garcia
Marcario Garcia, when he received the Medal of Honor (Congressional Medal Society)
With this high sense of patriotism that these Mexican American veterans had, they felt that equal treatment was finally going to be given. Unfortunately, many veterans returned home and were disappointed. For example, veteran Marcario Garcia faced large amounts of discrimination and racial prejudice by Anglo Americans. Marcario Garcia was a U.S Veteran who won a Congressional Medal of Honor after his service in WWII. He returned to his home in Texas and had high hopes of being treated with respect. With these high hopes, Garcia went to a local restaurant hoping to receive service and eat a nice meal. That was not the case. Garcia was denied service and was told that it was a white served-only establishment.
Jose Frausto
Jose Frausto was a twenty-five-year-old veteran who was also awarded the Bronze Star for valor and the Purple Heart. He was denied service in Fort Worth, Texas solely because he was said to be a “Spaniard.”
Jose Lopez
Another story presented was José López, who was also awarded the Medal of Honor and was denied service at a cafe in Texas.
Ambrose Lopez
(Kansas Historical Society)
Another Mexican-American veteran Ambrose Lopez had also faced discrimination when returning home. He states that “we couldn’t go into restaurants”- He too was denied service at a public establishment. Ambrose Lopez also claimed that in movie theaters, it was obligatory to sit in a different area away from the Anglo Americans. For example, the Anglo Americans got to sit in the middle section of the theaters, and Mexicans and Mexican Americans had to sit in the least desirable seats of the theaters that the Anglos did not want.
Veterans
Jose and Ambrose, and along with many other veterans, all returned home with high hopes of finally getting treated like citizens but in return, were continued to be treated as second class. This second-class treatment limited a lot of opportunities for the veterans like for example, going to public establishments. Many Anglo Americans did not care that these Mexican-American veterans went to go serve their country, they only cared that they were Mexican. This was frustrating to them considering that these veterans went overseas to fight for rights that were not given to them.
Labor
Another issue that arose was returning Mexican nationals were denied employment because of their Mexican citizenship. In 1926 there was a law passed requiring people to have U.S. citizenship in order to be employed. There were many complaints from both Mexican Americans and Mexicans they were expected and forced to serve but in return could not get a decent job but worked in low-paying agricultural jobs. As well as facing deportation after being discharged veterans after the war. Many felt betrayed and used, things were nothing like they expected to be.
Bracero Program Farm Worker. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images
GI Bill & LULAC
Although life seemed to be getting better after hearing about the G.I Bill, Meican-Americans, like many other communities of color, did not receive an equal distribution. Some veterans were exempt from receiving anything. This G.I Bill was to give Mexican Americans better opportunities to reach higher and better education. But the opportunity for better education was contradictory considering that many Universities at the time, did not accept minorities. Which only encouraged them, even more, to demand their rights is the beginning of the civil rights movement. With continuous acts of segregation and discrimination, the fight for equality began. Many became leaders and activists for movements of equality. As well as support groups for Mexican-Americans and Mexican veterns to help them earn their citizenship rights like LULAC and American G.I. Forum. Many veterans sought LULAC to help end the segregation/discrimination toward Mexican-Americans. Where they began to claim belonging which was sough through their rights as well as challenging segregation. Also wanting freedom, equality, democracy, a liberation are only a few among many other demands.
Estrada, Josue. LULAC and American GI Forum: History and Geography 1929-1988.
More About Returning Home
Sources
Arnick. “Mexican Americans Continued Their Fight for Freedom After WWII.” American Ethnics and World War II, December 10, 2015. https://sites.udel.edu/hist268-030-f15/2015/12/10/mexican-americans-fight-for-freedom-after-wwii/.
Cardenas, Jose. “History of WWII Gets the Latino Perspective.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2002. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-may-27-me-vets27-story.html.
Estrada, Josue. “LULAC and American GI Forum: History and Geography 1929-1988.” LULAC History and Geography 1929-1988 - Mapping American Social Movements. Accessed April 15, 2021. https://depts.washington.edu/moves/LULAC_map.shtml.
“Latinos in World War II: Fighting on Two Fronts (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed March 23, 2021. https://www.nps.gov/articles/latinoww2.htm.
Longley, Robert. “The Bracero Program Recruited Millions of Mexicans to Work in the U.S.” ThoughtCo, December 3, 2020. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-bracero-program-4175798.
“Mexican American Soldiers in World War II.” Kansas Historical Society, January 2010. https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/mexican-american-soldiers-in-world-war-ii/15141.
"Los Veteranaos- Latinos in WWII." The National WWII Museum. Accessed March 13, 2021. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/sites/default/files/2017-07/los-veteranos-fact-sheet.pdf
Rosales, Steven. "Fighting The Peace at Home: Mexican American Veterans and the 1944 GI Bill of Rights." University of California Press, July 14, 2014. https://history.msu.edu/hst327/files/2018/05/FightingPeace.pdf
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