"I joined the army and I wanted to be all I can be. I guess at that time the government saw us and said 'hey, we can use them in Nam.'”

- Juan Farias, Vietnam Veteran and visual artist  

Throughout the Vietnam War, Latino and Hispanic soldiers were documented as “White” and as a result, their contributions, experiences, and stories have been underrepresented. Although detailed data about Latino service in the Vietnam War is still being compiled, it has been established that Latino soldiers were over-represented in both the enlisted population and combat casualties. For example, Mexican Americans accounted for approximately 20% of the U.S. casualties in the Vietnam War although they made up only 10% of the country’s population at the time.

Through the intimate interviews with Veterans in in the film, As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos, students will consider the forces that shape our understanding of historic events and eras, understand the factors that motivated such a large percentage of Latino servicemen to enlist in the Vietnam War.