Retired judge Frederick Aguirre has dedicated the last several years of his life to researching and documenting the pivotal — and largely unknown — role Mexican Americans from Orange County played in U.S. military history.
Alfred V. Aguirre of Placentia served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. His son, retired Judge Frederick Aguirre, has been researching and documenting the role of Mexican American soldiers in U.S. wars.
The Aguirre family has a century of local history. Frederick’s grandparents arrived in 1919 in Placentia, where his father, Alfred, was born in 1920. When he returned home from the war, Alfred heard about the Mendez vs. Westminster legal case, which desegregated schools in the Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and El Modena school districts. He didn’t want his children attending the still-segregated campuses in Placentia.
Partly because of his father’s efforts, Frederick Aguirre attended desegregated schools. He received a law degree from UCLA in 1971, practiced law and eventually became a judge in 2002. The website features about 30 interviews with WWII veterans, including former prisoners of war and survivors of the European and the Pacific theaters.“There is no category in World War II records to show the service of Mexican Americans,” Aguirre said. “There were for African Americans, Chinese Americans and Japanese Americans, but Mexicans were considered white, even though they were treated like second-class citizens.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
US World War II veteran receives France's medal of honor on D-Day anniversaryStan Friday, an Army scout, went ahead of the Allied troops after D-Day to scope out the danger and witnessed two Nazi concentration camps before they were liberated.
Read more »
![Report: A 5% Tariff On Mexican Imports Could Cost 400,000 American Jobs [Infographic]](https://i.headtopics.com/images/2019/6/7/forbes/a-5-tariff-on-mexican-imports-could-cost-400-000-american-jobs-1136976352031191040.webp?w=640)
Report: A 5% Tariff On Mexican Imports Could Cost 400,000 American Jobs [Infographic]A new analysis has found that the Trump administration's decision to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican imports could have profound economic consequences.
Read more »
D-Day veterans choke back tears to ensure memories live onPORTSMOUTH, England (AP) — I make old soldiers cry. Old sailors, too. And airmen. Even Marines. Makes no difference. I know that makes me sound cruel. But I had to do it.
Read more »
World Marks 75th Anniversary Of D-DayThe world marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day this week with a ceremony at Normandy beach and speeches from world leaders commemorating the sacrifice of veterans. What do you think?
Read more »
Opinion | Nationalism and D-DayOpinion: Delivering a speech in Europe that even his critics applauded, Trump’s D-Day remarks show how sovereignty can serve Western values
Read more »
D-Day Nostalgia and the West’s New RealitiesD-Day and NATO helped to preserve Western civilization, but today’s world demands new strategic thinking, writes gerardtbaker
Read more »