"Up to 750,000 Mexican American men served in World War II, earning more Medals of Honor and other decorations in proportion to their numbers than any other ethnic group. Mexican American women entered the work force on the home front, supporting the war effort and earning good wages for themselves and their families. But the contributions of these men and women have been largely overlooked as American society celebrates the sacrifices and achievements of the "Greatest Generation." To bring their stories out of the shadows, this book gathers eleven essays that explore the Mexican American experience in World War II from a variety of personal and scholarly perspectives."--BOOK JACKET.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [291]-298) and index.

Introduction / Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez Ch. 1. The five Sanchez brothers in World War II : remembrance and discovery / Rita Sanchez Ch. 2. The beating of Private Aguirre : a story about West Texas during World War II / David Montejano Ch. 3. On the west side : a portrait of Lanier High School during World War II / Julio Noboa Ch. 4. Lost momentum : World War II and the education of hispanos in New Mexico / Lynne Marie Getz Ch. 5. The Mexican American dream and World War II : a view from the Midwest / Dionicio Valdes

Ch. 6. Zoot violence on the home front : race, riots, and youth culture during World War II / Luis Alvarez Ch. 7. What a difference a war makes! / Maria Eva Flores Ch. 8. Framing racism : newspaper coverage of the Three Rivers incident / Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez Ch. 9. Mexico's wartime intervention on behalf of Mexicans in the United States : a turning of tables / Emilio Zamora Ch. 10. Rosita the riveter : welding tradition with wartime transformations / Naomi Quinonez Ch. 11. On the nation's periphery : Mexican braceros and the Pacific Northwest railroad industry, 1943-1946 / Erasmo Gamboa.