Arias 1

Portfolio 2

Estefani Arias

Mas 10B Sec, 7:30am

Professor Jesus Covarrubias

Professor Juan Gamboa

May 13, 2019

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To what extent did Chicanos’ demonstration of patriotic duty through military service
during WWII benefit them socially and/or politically?

In the early 1900’s many Mexicans migrated to the United states in hope of a better life.

Although they were aware it would be difficult to adapt to a whole new country it was a risk they

were willing to take due to the fact that they believed it was for the better. Overall it turned out to

be the complete opposite. “Mexicans were not welcome” (Ruiz, 19), instead they were treated

unequally and discriminated. Although they did suffer they were still very appreciative to the

fact that they were even in the United States. Eventually many Mexican Americans became

aware of the Military and saw it as a opportunity to show there appreciation to their new country.

With showing their appreciation to the country they hoped that along the road they would also be

accepted and be looked at as Americans. In the time of WWII Chicanos’ demonstration of

patriotic duty through military service did not benefit them socially or politically. Instead they

were still neglected and suffered discrimination and inequality.

During World War II “Almost a half million Mexican-origin people served in the armed

forces”(Acuna, 289). Although it was a very large amount of Mexicans that served in military

services they were not acknowledged. Although the United States is well known for defending

and protecting those who serve in the military they did not do the same when it came to the

Mexicans who served. “Euro-Americans ignored the sacrifices made by Mexican Americans

during World War II, which were disproportionate to their numbers” (Acuna,259). Instead they

continued to treat them equally and make them feel out of their comfort. “American Legion and

Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters refused to admit Mexicans as members”(Acuna, 258). Many
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American people refused to give Mexicans as much attention and recognition for serving in the

military, they discouraged them and didn’t see them as one of their own. When it came to people

asking if they actually took part many would counterclaim and say it was false or say they are

not one of their own kind.

The hope for many Mexicans who took part was to end racism and be accepted. Instead it

was as if they received even more hate due to the fact that Americans disowned them and would

make it clear to them they would never be accepted due to the fact that they were immigrants or

came from immigrant families. “The war had not ended racism; the Mexican American youth

were still targeted” (Acuna, 259). Mexicans went through a lot of structural discrimination which

refers to “ inequality by focusing on how institutions in society perpetuate inequality by

inherently protecting the advantaged of the dominant group through laws, policies and practices”

(Covarrubias, February 18). They did not receive the same treatment as American did for serving

in military. “Mexican American leadership continued to claim they were white in order to

qualify for equal rights under the constitution” (Acuna, 259). There came a point where many

Mexicans tried lying and saying they were Americans in order to be treated equally and receive

the same benefits but it did not work.

Many Mexican families suffered during the time of the World War II because many lives

were lost. Mexican families did not only suffer by the fact that they had lost a family member but

also suffered from the fact that they were not recognized and made proper funerals for their

loved ones. A good example could be the issue that happened with Private Felix. “ Private Felix

Longoria, who had died in the Philippines during World War II. (Acuna, 258) but due to the fact

that he was not an American citizen he was not given a proper funeral like the rest of those who
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took part in Military services. When it comes to doing funerals for those who take part in the

military they are buried with full honors and by that it means they are recognized for all the

sacrifices they went through and honor him. “Forum members believed that Longoria should

have been buried with full honors in his hometown, and the compromise of burying him in

Arlington Cemetery was wrong” (Acuna, 258). Americans saw nothing wrong with the fact that

he wasn’t honored because he was not an American. As for Mexicans they found it very

discriminating.

Chicanos’ taking part in military service did not give them any social or political

stability. Instead it brought them much more negative attention and hatred. They suffered

discrimination regularly.

Question: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Chicana/os today and why?
How are today’s issues related to struggles from the past? Use specific examples.

Being able to live in the United States and accomplish living the American Dream is

something chicana/os have always had high hopes on. They saw the United States as a better
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lifestyle for themselves and their families. They believed it was the land of opportunity as well as

the land of equality. Later on many families migrated into the United States to be able to fulfill

all their hopes and beliefs. Little did they know that it was not exactly what they believed it

would be and not as easy as they hoped. Chicana/os up to date have many pressing issues they

have to face on a regular basis. They face issues like discrimination, racial segregation and

racism.

During the year of 1929 which was the year of the Great Depression and Repatriation

many mexican people faced discrimination because “by the end of the 20’s society was

becoming more unequal” (Covarrubias, February 27). Due to the fact that society was so unequal

they found it very easy to put the blame for issues in world on Mexicans. “During the 1920s and

1930s began to blame Mexican immigrants for society’s ills.” (Ruiz, 26). They believed that

Mexican people carried diseases and illnesses due to the fact that they worked on hard labor jobs

were illnesses and diseases where easy to catch. “Mexican immigrants were blamed for the

nations economic troubles and hard times” (Covarrubias, February 27). Although society has

changed throughout the years Mexicans are still a major target when it comes to blame. Many

American people were quick to blame Mexicans for poverty going down. They believed that

there is not many job opportunities due to the fact that so many chicana/os take them all away.

Many White American people even began to characterize them as “lazy, lack of ambition,

abusing government, service and charity” (covarrubias feb). They characterized them that way in

the hopes of companies believing it and potentially firing them or not considering them when a

job opportunity is available. Our current President Donald Trump is a major lead to why people

are convinced that Mexicans do take jobs away from White Americans. Trump has no respect
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when it comes to talking about Mexicans he discriminates them regularly and is very convincing

to the American public eye due to his strong use of words. He is very manipulative in the form

that he makes many people believe that Mexicans are predators and have no right to be here as

well as convincing them that they take good job opportunities from others.

Racial segregation is the separation of either ethnic or racial groups. It is very common in

our world today for racial segregation to occur due to the fact that people feel more safe living

with people who are like them. ​In San Jose white segregation is present in areas like Willow

Glen and Santa Teresa. Mexican people are not very welcomed in those areas due to the fact

many don’t live in those areas and that is due to the fact that it is a much more wealthy area and

it is hard to afford for them. “Mexican kids were always separated as a community because white

people and Mexicans both had their own villages” (Film-Lemon Grove Incident). Segregation

also occurs due to the fact that white people want their children to interact with people who are

like them. After the WWI there was a “rise of anti-mexican attitudes and

segregation.”(Covarrubias feb 13). It could very well compare to how things are these days

because they also segregated housing but not just that they “segregated swimming pools,

schools, movies, barber shops and restaurants.”(covar feb 13). They were only allowed to do

those things in certain areas and those areas where mainly poorly taken care of.

Racism is very common in our world today and that could have some emphasis on the

fact that our own president supports it. “There is not a country in world history in which racism

has been more important, for so long a time, as the United States.” (Zinn, Chapter 2). Due to our

own president being very racist it causes people to believe that it is fine to discriminate people by

their color and express themselves in a negative way. White people feel they have more of an
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advantage due to the fact that Trump makes them believe that they do because he has a very bias

theory on Mexicans. “Bias theories are to narrow a view as they tend to ignore the structural

foundation of racism”(cov. Feb 18). He racially profiles Mexicans as well as makes racist jokes

on his social media platform. “The lies, pretensions, the snobbery and cliquishness, the racism. . .

. The terrifying & useless struggle to be accepted” (Ruiz, 124). Trump as well as many white

people make Mexicans feel as if they do not belong in the United States and due to that many

feel very uncomfortable and neglected. “Before 1931 Mexican and Euro-American children in

Lemon Grove, California, a small town outside San Diego, attended the same school. In January

1931, the local school board built a separate facility for Mexicans” (Ruiz,102). They wanted to

seperate the Mexican children from the white children due to the fact that they believed Mexican

children didn’t have the occupancy to be able to learn. They believed this due to the fact that

they were Mexican and believed that Mexican people were never well educated and never would

be. Teachers treated Mexican and White kids very unequally just due to their race. “Chicano

students wished for the removal of racist teachers. They also desired smaller classes and

upgraded libraries.” (Ruiz, 117). Many Mexican children suffered very much when it came to

getting an education but many managed to be able to put through.

Although many things are not as worse as they used to be for Chicana/os there are many

pressing issues they still have to face on a daily basis. Many Mexican families migrated to the

United States in hope of achieving the American Dream. They saw the United States as a land of

opportunity and a better life but up to today that is not what they were granted. Instead they

continue to suffer with regular discrimination, racial segregation and racism. White supremacy as
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well as the President make the lives very harder for Mexican people and they make them feel as

if they do not belong here or have a purpose.

The grade that I feel I deserve is a B or a C. I feel I deserve this grade due to the fact that

I did find the questions a bit hard to answer but I did seek any help I could get. I received help

and a lot of feedback from peer mentors, classmates, old teachers and even family members. I

made sure to follow all the guidelines as well as made sure that my points and opinions very

clear. I feel that I also provided a lot of quotes to back up my points from the readings and

lectures. Overall, I enjoyed doing this assignment and it gave me a better understanding to the

lectures.

Work Cited

Acuña, Rodolfo. ​Occupied America: a Chicano History Symposium​. Mexican American

Studies Program, University of Houston Central Campus, 1982.

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Ruíz, Vicki. ​From out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America.​

Oxford University Press, 2008.

Class notes on lectures

*I have the online version of both books*