Biannual
I thought knowing the meaning of the word was going to make this process easier – I was wrong! I have spent a lot of time thinking about what to write that occurs once every two years but related to a cultural event about the Spanish culture. I don’t like to read the other blogs until I have chosen my topic, that way I don’t try to choose something similar. Blogs are kind of personal, so I always try to find something related to my own experiences.
I had a conversation with a friend last week about the situation of the flu concerns and he was telling me about what the government’s plan. He works for the National Air Force in Fort Smith in the medical field. He reminded me of our famous Air show at the base here in Fort Smith and it is a biannual event. Why the Air Show? This event offers entertainment and education to our community. Usually I have the opportunity to work as a volunteer and help somehow during the show. I have noticed how the attendance of members of our Hispanic community has increased over the years and I have always wondered if the number of Hispanics joining the Armed Forces has increased as well. I did a little research to find out more information about this topic. Joining the military is a common thing among Puertoricans. Many of them choose this route and make a career of it. Growing up in Puerto Rico and then in Clarksville, TN helped me understand the military life a little better. Fort Campbell is located ten minutes from my second hometown, so I had the opportunity to be involved and learn about being part of the military. One of the things I have always heard from many Puertoricans soldier is that they miss their island. They always refer to a song that talks about leaving and not being able to come back to the island. They can identify themselves with the lyrics and always refer to the song when talking about their experiences during their time of service. It is a beautiful song and I have to say that I get a little emotional when I hear it. It really touches our heart. The lyrics of this song are one of my podcasts. Enjoy!
The reasons why Latinos are drawn the military vary:
· aggressive recruiters who pry on youth (my brother in law was a recruiter for eleven
years)
· the enticement of skipping the usual five years that legal permanent residents must want
before applying for citizenship, the immigrant’s desire assimilate
· a way to pursue an education
· a sense of pride about serving for this country
More information!
· Latinos’ representation has been highest in the Marine Corps and lowest in the Air Force
· Marine Corps culture appeals to Hispanic values given the high representation of Latinos,
it is clearly not just the macho image of the Marine Corps that appeals to Hispanics.
· Latino representation in the Navy has been rising.
· By September 2006, the contributed 14 percent of Navy enlisted personnel about the same
as in the Marine Corps that year.
· The past 20 years have witnessed dramatic increases in the percentage of Latinos (of both
sexes) among active duty enlisted personnel
About Me
I find it interesting that Latinos make up a great number of the Marines. Where did you find this information? I'm not questioning it, I'm just wondering because I have 4 friends who have been through the Marines OCS boot camp at different times and all have the same thoughts concerning diversity within their platoons ( is that what they're called?) anywho they all say that the summers they spend at OCS are so segregated both genderwise and racially(due to a low exposure to diversity).
ReplyDeleteHmmm...it's a big stretch to tie biannual in with the Mexican culture when its...an Arkansas event...dig deeper!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe reason why I mentioned the Arkansas event was because it reminded me the issue of immigration and Latinos in the United States. Attending the Air Show gives us a better understanding of how many of us are here in the states and also being part of the military. Many of our young children don't know that our community has been part of the Armed Forces for many years. Many of the soldiers that attended and participated at the Air Show were Hispanics. Even though the event was here in the United States (Arkansas) the culure was present and the intention of recruiting more Hispanics was very obvious. Maybe you are right, I should have chosen a topic that it is (more) related to our culture, but I honestly thought it was kind of interesting.
ReplyDelete