1.+Military+involvementGI+Rights

MEXICAN AMERICANS IN MILITARY

From September 1, 1939 to May 8, 1945, the majority of the Latin Americans, which naturally include the Mexican Americans, served in regular units. In fact, there were some combat units that mostly consisted of Latin Americans: 65th Infantry Regiment and the 141st Regiment of the 36th Texas Infantry.  The former was largely responsible for the protection of the Pacific and the Atlantic sides of the isthmus and the Panama Canal during the war, while the latter - to gain a Presidential Unit Citation in the future - was responsible for protecting the Paesturn from German attacks.
 * European Theatre **

Similarly, there was an active regiment in the Pacific theatre, made mostly up of Latin Americans - 158th Regimental Combat Team. They fought the Japanese in the New Guinea area and aided in the liberation of the Philippine Islands. Another notable contribution to the Pacific theatre by the Mexican Americans is the Bataan Death March when the two national guards (the 200th and the 515th battalions) were activated in New Mexico to fight the Japanese forces in the Americas as well as in the Pacific.
 * Pacific Theatre **

Congressional Medal of Honour was the highest military decoration in the US //“for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, in actual combat against an armed enemy force”// awarded by the President of the US - who is, essentially, the commander in chief of the national military.
 * Military Honours **

And out of all minority groups existent in the US, the Mexican Americans received the most Medals of Honour  during the World War II, with the total of 13. This shows the contribution as well as the dedication of the Mexican Americans to the US military activities.



G.I. Bill




===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Its official title is actually <span style="color: #7abb3a; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;"> Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. ===

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This bill provided for college or <span style="color: #8c30e8; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">vocational education <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">, as well as <span style="color: #d11f7c; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">one year of unemployment compensation <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">, for WWII veterans after the war was over. It also provided resources for <span style="color: #dec72b; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">purchasing homes and life insurance <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> for the returning veterans. Mexican Americans were able to take advantage of the GI Bill because it legitimately applied to them.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Thanks to the bill - as well as the demonstration of their patriotism during the war - a large number of Mexican Americans were able to, for the first time in history, receive college education. For the first time in history, they were able to buy homes. Most of the Mexican American lives <span style="color: #1a86ad; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">improved <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> many folds drastically after returning safely home from the brutal war. And they had deserved it. Not only individual lives, but collective status of the Mexican Americans improved as well. For example, political organizations such as the American GI Forum was founded, medical practice was opened by Mexican americans.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Here is the first hand account of a Mexican American veteran that fought in the WWII:// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;">media type="youtube" key="Ro1nbg9buOE" height="390" width="480" <span style="display: block; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;">

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">Sources:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">http://www.americansall.com/PDFs/02-americans-all/8.9.pdf <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">http://web.archive.org/web/20071026112331/http://www.hispaniconline.com/hh02/history_heritage_on_the_battlefront.html <span style="display: block; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;">