Mexican American Contributions in World War II

Learn about the contributions of Mexican Americans to the war effort in World War II and what it enabled them to do after the war.

Richard Yňiguez: She’s one of America’s longest serving and most distinguished fighting ships, sailing through war and peace for some 47 years. Now she’s in retirement as a floating museum here on San Diego’s waterfront. Welcome aboard the USS Midway. I'm Richard Yňiguez, you may recognize me from roles I've played in movies and on TV but the role I'm most proud of is my service on board the Navy aircraft carrier Yorktown during the Vietnam War. I'm also the proud son of Navy veteran Rudy Yňiguez and Army veteran Santiaga Carillo. My parents, along with thousands of other Mexican-American answered this country’s call during World War II. These were people often neglected in pre-war America, men and women who helped save this country and in many ways found a better life in post-war America. This is their story, a story of dedication, sacrifice, patriotism and valor, Valentia, Mexican-Americans in World War II. Livorio Correa: I was coming out of church, this church here when I heard about it and didn’t actually sink in. Being foreign boys, where the heck is Pearl Harbor? Alvino Mendoza: My mother thought I was too young, my father said “He’s 18. He’s a citizen, that’s his duty.” And I never thought otherwise that I wouldn’t go where I shouldn’t go. Richard Yňiguez: They were often relocated to Mexican only neighborhoods, schools, theaters, churches. Yet hundreds of thousands of Mexican-Americans signed up to serve in World War II. Dr. Dennis Bixler-Marquez: If you look at the statistics, you would have to conclude that that 375 to half a million estimate out of a 2.69 million population is extraordinarily high and remember that you also have Mexican-American women serving in the armed forces as well as Mexican nationals. Catalina Bernal: I had friends from Connecticut, Arkansas, California, Arizona, just all over the States. I felt like I belong to this family. Richard Yňiguez: Families with names like Correa and Ramirez sent all of his sons and even their daughters to join the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and the Air Corps or do their part here on the home front, giving so much, even their lives for this country. For many, the armed forces turned out to be a great equalizer and as you will see, gave returning veterans the courage of the battlefield to fight for equal opportunity.