n The Militarization of Latina/o Youth Estephanie J. Munoz Robert E. McNaiJ· Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, USA Advisor: Dr. Jose-Aguilar Hernandez As the fastest growing population in the United States, Latinas/as have become the most enticing group for the military to recruit. There is limited information regarding the experiences ofLatina/a youth, specifically those who defer a post-seconda1y education to join the milita1y. While the Latino population continues to increase rapidly, gains in the educational attainment do not follow the same pattern. Although educational attainment among US. Latinas/as has improved in recent years, this group continues to hold the lowest educational attainment in comparison to other racial/ethnic groups. The experiences offour Latina/a youth who consider milita1y service as the most viable option, centralizing on the following two questions: Why do Latina/a youth join the milita1y? How does that decision impact their motivations for a higher education? This article highlights the importance of acknowledging the experiences ofLatina/a youth in order to understand the factors that prompt them to enlist in milita1y service. Further, to use these experiences to help improve the leaks within the c educational pipeline to increase the educational attainment ofLatinas/as. To what extent are Latina/o youth choosing to defer a post-secondary education and joining the armed forces? Relatively little research has examined the push factors that influence Latina/o students to find military service as the most viable option. Among working-class families in low- income communities, the pathway of serving in the military is common within the Latina/o youth population. The choice ofdeferring a college education and following other avenues, particularly military service, is a recurrent course ofaction for Latina/o youth, but only a limited amount of research has documented the accounts ofLatina/o youth who defer a college education to enlist in the armed forces. Documenting the experiences ofLatina/o youth is ofcrucial importance in The Militarization ofLatina/a Youth order to bring forward the push factors that influence their decision-making. In communities such as Baldwin Park, a low-income city located in the middle ofthe San Gabriel Valley region ofLos Angeles County, California, the institution ofthe military is well received by its residents, especially by Latina/o youth. The experiences of Latina/o youth ofBaldwin Park, California who have enlisted in the armed forces have not been previously explored. In this research study, I showcase the pathways ofLatina/o youth ofBaldwin Park, California who serve in the armed forces rather than pursue a college education. THE FRONTLINE POPULATION The United States Census Bureau reports that the Latina/o population is one ofthe fastest growing minorities. Presently, it is reported that there are approximately 55 million Latinas/os. It is projected that by 2050 the population will increase to over 132 million. Due to the rapid recent increase in the Latino population, this group has become an object ofattention for the c Department ofDefense (DOD). As one ofthe fastest growing minorities, Latinas/os have become the most enticing group for military recruitment. According to the DOD, they have an annual agenda ofrecruiting over 200,000 people. Reaching the annual quota is difficult; therefore, the DOD prioritizes two main factors to ensure achieving the goal: competency and performance. In order to meet the annual quota, the DOD has revamped their recruiting tactics and strategies with the purpose ofattracting individuals. The Army provides its recruiters with a training handbook titled, "The School Recruiting Program Handbook," on how to implement effective recruiting strategies. (USAREC Pamphlet p. 350-13). This handbook provides a number ofsuggestions, including advice about the importance ofworking with school faculty since they are an influential factor for students. The most crucial element a recruiter must complete is "establish rapport and credibility," which 2 The Militarization ofLatina/a Youth includes assisting a physical activity classroom, handing out materials such as lanyards, pens, cups. etc. In like manner, recruiters must give the perception ofcaring about the best interest of the students with the purpose of "penetrating their school market...to obtain the maximum number ofquality enlistments." The school market is the largest source for military recruitment; for this reason, the handbook gives special prominence to recruiting in secondary institutions. The most alarming section in this handbook is that the primary goal is to achieve "school ownership" because it will guarantee a greater number ofenlistments. The handbook emphasizes that it is pivotal that recruiters understand that "Once educators are convinced recruiters have their students' best interest in mind the SRP [School Recruiting Program] can be effectively implemented." The DOD ensures to implement different measures in order to meet the annual quota. The recruiting strategies are designed specifically for youth, In terms ofattracting Latina/o youth, the DOD released the advertisement campaign 'Yo Soy El Army' directed to the entire Latina/o community, especially to parents. It was produced in hopes ofwinning over concerned parents during a period ofwar. These ads use emotion in place ofreason in order to manipulate the recipient's emotions. As shown in Figure 1., an advertisement oftwo Latino parents embracing their son enhanced with a misleading caption on the top left: "When he was a boy we took care ofhim, and now he takes care ofus." This advertisement does not present factual evidence or a direct statement about joining the military, but rather appeals to the emotions ofthe recipient. In a sense, this advertisement makes note of the similarity between familial and military 'values.' This advertisement does not present logical reasoning; instead, its technique is logically fallacious. The DOD has revamped their ( 3 (' \ ' . The Militarization ofLatina/a Youth 0 Figure 1. (Garza, 2015) recruiting strategies through the fallacy ofappeal to emotion with the purpose ofreaching the annual quota. A factor that demonstrates that their recruiting strategies have resulted successful is that data reports that Latinos made up 20% ofthe recruiting market in 2010 and by 2050 that 0 percentage is projected to increase to 38%. Because the population continues to increase rapidly, the DOD focuses on designing strategies that attract the Latina/o community. BALDWIN PARK, CALIFORNIA As of2010, the United States Census Bureau reports that 80.1 % ofresidents living in Baldwin Park are Hispanic. The educational attainment level ofthis community is significantly low in comparison to other areas ofLos Angeles County. Less than 10% ofresidents have a Growing up in a poor and violent neighborhood such as Baldwin Park, significantly increases the chances that a Latina/o child will choose the military rather than a college education. 4 ( The Militarization ofLatina/a Youth Figure 2. showcases one ofthe several military advertisements scattered throughout Baldwin Park. This billboard, sponsored by the Marine Corps, is located between the 1-10 and Kaiser Permanente. The iconic backdrop photograph ofthe flag-raising on Iwo Jima and the three Marines gives a reassuring display of strength. It comes to represent not only heroism during the Battle oflwo Jima, but depicts the core values ofthe Marines, and indeed all ofthe military branches. Even though, the billboard seems like an ordinary advertisement, it communicates a strong message to this low-income community about joining the military. These military billboards are non-existent in affluent communities in Southern California. These billboards are a part ofthis city's culture. It promotes a military going culture for the residents of this community. Figure 2. Student's decision to participate in the United States military, an institution that represents frrst-class citizenship for Latinas/as, are certainly shaped by the encouragement of parents, educational institutions, and communities. Parental guidance is a key determiner that influences students to join the military and defer a post-secondary education. The decision to 5 ( The Militarization ofLatina/a Youth defer a post-secondary education comes easy for numerous students at Sierra Vista High School (SVHS) in Baldwin Park, California. The military has become a viable option among numerous students, particularly Latina/a youth, who choose to enlist in the armed forces since the role of a post-secondary education plays oftrivial importance. The campus grounds ofSVHS encourage students to participate in the military by allowing military recruiters to visit the campus on a weekly basis. Each week military recruiters walk around campus wearing battle dress uniforms to interact with students and host a variety of activities during lunch hour with the purpose ofinforming students about the perks of signing up for the military. Not only do military recruiters interact with students, but they also give presentations in the classroom. Students eagerly gather beside the information booth and address their questions and concerns to recruiters while others participate in push-up or pull-up bar competitions. In doing this, students have become embraced by a military-going culture that C; solidifies the idea ofdeferring a college education to enlist in