Houston Hispanics and the Vietnam War
by Jesse Esparza

The Heritage Society Tea Room
Free for members, $5 for non-members

The Vietnam War is considered one of the most controversial and polarizing wars in U.S. history. A product of the Cold War, this conflict would see some 540,000 troops deployed and more than 58,000 American soldiers dead. Among those deployed were 170,000 Mexican Americans. The Latino trooper was typically in his early 20's, single, working-class, and highly under-educated. Mexican Americans across the nation, in fact, lived in neighborhoods with aging infrastructure, declining property values, and rising poverty levels. Despite that, Mexican Americans answered the call to duty receiving high honors for their valor in battle. Join us for the Noon Lecture and learn about the untold stories of Mexican Americans involvement in the Vietnam War.