American Latinos in WWII

This 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. The essay also discusses the economic and social significance of military service to American Latinos.

The Alliance of National Heritage Areas’ most recent news publication, Heart & Soul, highlighted diversity in National Heritage Areas across the country. This was the first issue of Heart & Soul to focus solely on exploring stories of Latinx, African American, and Asian American heritage and history in our National Heritage Areas, opening the door to further inclusivity.

While often discussed in isolation, Japanese incarceration and school segregation unfolded concurrently within the lives of the Mendez and Munemitsu families. This project explores the entangled inequalities that brought the two families together. It also highlights some of the people and historic places that can speak to their story.

Food rationing affected every American every day on the World War II home front. Several factors influenced rationing, including supply and demand issues, military needs, and the economy.

Los Alamos National Laboratory was created to develop the atomic bomb. The government decided on Los Alamos County in New Mexico as a site for the Manhattan Project. Most of the land already belonged to the government as part of the Forest Service, but there was a community of Hispanic homesteaders and other property owners in the area. The homesteaders received less than their Anglo counterparts for their land. In 2005, they received reparations for the unfair treatment.

What was it like to live on the World War II home front in the mainland United States and its territories? The war was an all-out effort, calling on civilians to do their part to support the military effort. That war may seem like it happened long ago, but the innovations and sacrifices still affect our lives today.

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.

The science of nutrition that we take for granted today was in its infancy when World War II began. The US government was very worried about nutrition -- in the military and among civilians. Nutrition and food became linked with the future of America and of democracy itself.

To make sure that the military, manufacturers, and civilians had enough sugar, it was the first food to be rationed.

Sunnyside is a neighborhood in the eastern outskirts of Adrian, Michigan. Home to a large Mexican American population, the area first became popular to workers from Texas during World War II.