Should Military Recruiters Target Gang-Risk Latino Teens?
The answer to the title of this post sounds like it should be a no-brainer but with the Army under pressure to meet its quota to help with the additional troops President Bush has decided is needed in Iraq, a second look must be given as to whether the Army, and possibly other branches of the military, are making promises to at-risk kids that either don’t live up to the hype or are just not the only available option. In an article that chronicles the efforts of army recruiters in the Dallas, Texas area, some very common reasons for enlistment by young Latinos are revealed explaining why their numbers have more than doubled since 1993 when the perentage of black enlistees has taken a dive from 22 to 15 percent over the last six years. The two most common reasons that have historically spurred the enlistment of young Latinos into the military are: job training and education. A third reason among Latinos who are not citizens is citizenship. The article cites that in North Texas “where the
