Judge Rick Aguirre

Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences hosted A Night of Remembrance: Honoring America’s Latino Veterans as a part of Engaging the World: Leading the Conversation on Ethnic Studies.

Latinx veterans, past and present, who fought for America in the midst of prejudice and during a time when they didn’t receive proper recognition, commemorated Veterans Day 2022 alongside Chapman faculty, administrator, staff, and students. A large part of the evening’s program was a historical walk-through of notable Latino and Latina veterans, led by Judge Rick Aguirre. The evening highlight was honoring the veterans and family members representing deceased veterans who were in attendance. Each spoke briefly about their loved ones’ military service which ranged from fighting in the Vietnam war to present-day military operations.

Congressman Lou Correa promised that the community would do its due diligence and serve its veterans with the representation they deserve. “I’m proud of our community and our roots. We want to remind the people of Orange County that we have earned our place so that our children can remember. All that we ask for is to be considered a part of American history,” he said.

Chapman President Danielle Struppa, who helped support the event, along with the MA in War, Diplomacy and Society program, shared his desire to make the University a Hispanic Serving Institution, and reiterated that, “We need to engage the Latino community more.”

Dr. Kyle Longley, the director of the MA in War, Diplomacy, and Society concluded the event by assuring attendees that the program would be doing more to share Latinx veterans’ stories and experiences, and that this event was the first of the many more to come.