"Yo Quería Ser Americano": WWII to the Korean War

In this episode, Dr Alex Mendoza continues the discussion of Tejanos in American wars by tracing the post-WWII expereinces of Tejanos leading up to & including the Korean War. I. Intro: The Letdown of the Greatest Generation and the Good WarA. The Felix Longoria Affair (Three Rivers Funeral for WW II vet)B. The Beating of Private Ben Aguirre (West Texas)1. Teens beat Aguirre but well connected did minimal punishmentC. Catalysts1. American GI Forum—Dr. Hector P. Garcia and Corpus2. LULAC continued to gain strengthII. American IdealsA. Cold War accentuated the Stars and Stripes and Apple Pie1. Fear of the Soviets: distinguishing from Godless Communism2. Concerted efforts to emphasize the importance of the militarya) For Tejanos this resonated: skills, money, education (GI Bill), countryb) Military bases throughout Texas emphasized the presence of the militaryB. Immigration1. Military Service and Path to Citizenshipa) Raul Chavarria (Laredo)—Military service led to citizenship2. Protection against wave of deportations (AGAIN) under Eisenhowera) Operation Wetback (according to INS) deported 1.3 million in 1954 aloneC. Korea1. Cold War conflict—abstract ideas such as protecting the nation from Communists2. Motivesa) Love of countryb) Economic Opportunitiesc) Personal Honor: Horacio Vela (example) who thought about fleeing but chose tofight for the importance of respectd) Fear of Communism3. Elvis’s Armya) The draft was omnipresent in the 1950sb) ROTC units common in Texas High Schools Military thus not as feared as in prior generations Picnics, demonstrations, and presence of armed forces in anytown Texasmade it easier to join the militaryIII. MemoryA. Richard Cavazos Congressional Medal of Honor (from Kingsville)1. Served in Korea and Vietnam (awards for both)2. 1 st Four Star General in late 20 th century (Texas Tech grad)3. Fort Hood named in honor after names of Confederates removeda) Fort Cavazos did not last long (Trump)b) Name erasedB. Korea as a Forgotten War