Vietnam Veteranos: Chicanos Recall the War (review)

Through oral histories, this text presents the varied roles that Chicanos played in the Vietnam War from December 1965 to November 1972. Structurally, the work consists of three parts: an Introduction that serves as an outline of the text; the transcribed interviews of several veterans' memories of their experiences before, during and after their service; and the author's concise summaries of the issues shared by the veterans.

The life stories support several reasons why there was such a high percentage of Chicanos in Vietnam. Culturally, the concept of being a warrior was held in high-regard. For reasons based on social class that reflect society's inequalities, many young Chicanos were drafted because they were not enrolled in school or they enlisted to earn a living. Regardless of how long their families had been in the United States, several of the veterans felt a need to prove their citizenship: "I felt a real sense of calling to duty, to the country, and to demonstrate, maybe more than anybody else, how patriotic I really was. I think a lot of Chicanos shared my same feelings and it was like I had to validate myself, that I was in fact American, that I was a citizen" (p. 25).

Many of the Chicano veterans shared the brutal realities of war, from the physical and psychological damage inflicted upon them and by them, to their political awakening and disillusionment with the U.S. government. After having returned to the United States, the majority of Chicano veterans no longer held the same view of patriotism. In fact, Ybarra clearly describes how social class and racism in conjunction with the term "Vietnam vet" were used to impede access to opportunities for Chicano veterans.

This work begins to fill the considerable void in the existing literature on the role of Chicanos in the Vietnam War. Significantly, the long-held silent voices of these veterans are heard. Ybarra presents the veterans' stories deliberately to portray the dangers and repercussions of war, not solely on Chicanos, but also on the broader community of humanity. Through this work, the Chicano veterans plead for remembrance and compassion. Above all, their stories yearn for understanding: for themselves, for their enemies and for our future.