Latin Heroes
Hispanics have been joining up in record numbers. But no one planned on dying
But stereotypical Latino machismo only goes so far in explaining why the military is becoming such a magnet for young Latinos. There are other strong reasons as well, including educational benefits, job security, prestige, and for some, fast-track citizenship--the ultimate accomplishment for a kid from the barrios of L.A. Last July, President Bush ordered that green-card holders who are on active duty be allowed to apply immediately for citizenship, waiving the usual three-year waiting period. The government has also created a team to swiftly process citizenship applications from the military, which have ballooned from around 300 a month before Bush's order took effect to 1,300 a month now. Two of the Latino marines from Southern California, Corporal Gutierrez and Corporal Garibay, who died just short of receiving citizenship, were granted it posthumously last week. Gutierrez was a Guatemalan street kid who had crossed the border illegally and was taken in by a foster family in Lomita, near Los Angeles. His death for a country that was not his own has stirred controversy in Guatemala and Mexico, where opposition to the war is much greater than it is among Hispanics in the United States (the majority support the war). In fact, says Bruce Harris, director of Casa Alianza, a program for street children in Central America that cared for Gutierrez for nine years, Gutierrez never expected to go to war. "People say that Jose Antonio joined the Marines to fight for a country that wasn't his," says Harris. "He joined the Marines to get an education. He died trying to become a college student, not a citizen."
Yellow ribbons. But at the modest Duarte, Calif., home of Martha and Samuel Martinez, where yellow ribbons (as well as a newly acquired black one) hang from the trees, and the flags of the United States, the Marine Corps, and Mexico all fly together, the news that their son Francisco Martinez Flores will be granted citizenship posthumously has been the only bright spot since he died last month. Martinez Flores was only two weeks away from becoming a citizen when his tank went over a bridge into the Euphrates River. "To die fighting for America as an American. It means everything," says Reyna Diaz, a close family friend. "Francisco proved he was a citizen when he gave his life." But Martinez Flores never expected to be in combat either. He joined the Marines as a ticket to college, friends said, so he could study to become a stockbroker or an FBI agent.
Even now, it has barely sunk in that a stint in the military can turn deadly at any time. But in places like troubled East L.A., so can a trip to the corner store. Last week, as families awaited the return of their fallen sons, the Marine center in East L.A. was still buzzing with potential recruits. One scrawny teenager with earrings in both ears, who asked that his name not be used since he had yet to tell his mother of his plans, seemed undeterred. "I'm hoping the war will be over by then. I just want to go to college," he said.
In Uniform and Out ...
Military
(active duty)
Other 6 pct.
Hispanic 9 pct.
Black 20 pct.
White 64 pct.
Civilians*
(ages 18 to 44)
Other 5 pct.
Hispanic 13 pct.
Black 13 pct.
White 69 pct.
Note: Percentages may not equal 100 percent because of rounding.
Sources: Department of Defense; Bureau of Labor Statistics
With Samantha Levine
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