Guest Column
Contreras is oblivious to race-based inequities.
- COUNTERPOINT
- By M. Aurora Vásquez, Esq.
- September 19, 2005
The September 8, 2005 article by Raoul Lowery Contreras (Hispanics: torpedoed by the usual suspects* http://www.hispanicvista.com/HVC/Columnist/rcontreras/090805contreras.htm) is offensive on a number of levels. In his article Mr. Lowery Contreras suggests that Latino representation in the military in proportion to their representative share of the overall population will be “productive to national acceptance of all Hispanics.” It appears that Mr. Lowery Contreras is oblivious to the historical race-based inequities in this country and to the fact that while Latinos have historically volunteered for armed service, their dedication and in many cases their very death, has not served to improve the unfair treatment our community receives.
Further, Lowery Contreras suggests that Latinos would be “safer and better educated” if they enroll in the military than if they were to remain in “their gang-infested unemployed neighborhoods.” To suggest that positioning oneself to participate in war is safer than living in any U.S. neighborhood is simply ridiculous and in deed, the very suggestion that youth from “gang-infested unemployed neighborhoods” are the ones being recruited supports the argument that military recruiters are targeting a very particular population of high school students. A sounder approach would be for the Latino community to demand that our youth receive a sound, quality education in K through 12th grade so that they graduate prepared to compete for coveted seats in our finest universities – immediately, rather than after years of service in the military, should they be fortunate enough to survive; in this way our youth can position themselves to turn the tides in their old neighborhoods, helping to create sounder, safer communities capable of supporting her residents and providing sustainable employment opportunities.
Finally, on the subject of education itself, Mr. Lowery Contreras callously assumes that the best a young Latino can do is to go to community college – “it isn’t that expensive at your local community college” – this statement is beyond offensive and Mr. Lowery Contreras should be thoroughly ashamed of himself for assuming that Latinos, even those from alleged “gang-infested unemployed neighborhoods” cannot, do not or should not vie for university admission. While a community college can offer a quality education, we all know that a university diploma is far more coveted in this country and there is absolutely no reason why we should not expect, demand, help and ensure that our children achieve this level of education –without first committing them to war to prove their worth.
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M. Aurora Vásquez is an attorney living in Arlington, VA. Contact at: avasquez@advancementproject.org
* Hispanics: torpedoed by the usual suspects http://www.hispanicvista.com/HVC/Columnist/rcontreras/090805contreras.htm
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