To Serve or Not to Serve - Latinxs and the Military | Radar 2021

While Latinxs make up about 17% of the US military, Latinx soldiers represent only 8% of military leadership. Despite this, the US military continues to spend millions on marketing strategies to recruit Latinxs. During the pandemic, recruiters amped up their spending to target the next group of potential recruits, Gen Z, right where they live—on digital platforms like Twitch. And while joining the military can provide opportunities for social and economic mobility for many young people, revelations about the unchecked abuses taking place — like the tragic murder of Vanessa Guillén by a fellow soldier at Fort Hood, Texas — has caused veteran groups, advocates, the Latinx community and the broader American public to take a closer look at whether or not the US military is doing enough to protect its own. We hear from a range of military veterans, including actor Al Coronel, about the opportunities the military can offer. In this episode we’re also joined by Vanessa Guillén’s sister, Mayra Guillén, an activist with YANO, a counter-military-recruitment organization, and a current military recruiter.

#Radar2021 is a weekly news show that dives into current issues and breaks them down through various perspectives across the Latinx community.

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