Hispanic recruiting: Double-edged sword

“When I was in 10th grade, the Army set up a mobile recruiting station in the parking lot of my East Los Angeles high school. I stopped by long enough to pick up a free pair of gym trunks emblazoned “Army.” I wore them a lot until my father, an Army veteran himself, discarded them without asking me. I was annoyed at my dad. Although I had no intention of enlisting, I felt cool and macho in my Army trunks.

Years later, the armed forces’ marketing has become more sophisticated, using tricked-out Hummer displays, hands-on combat simulators and free meals to entice recruits. Hispanic enlistment has become a top priority. Bilingual recruiters are a regular presence at high schools with large Latino populations, and Army advertising has become common on Spanish-language TV.”

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