Hispanics in The United States Navy - Latter Part of The 20th Century

Latter Part of The 20th Century

Latino representation in the Navy has been rising and there has been dramatic increases in the percentage of Latinos (of both sexes) among active duty enlisted personnel. In 1975, Lieutenant Al Cisneros, became the first Hispanic pilot to serve with the Blue Angels. In 1981, four women of Hispanic descent became the first women of their heritage from the U.S. Naval Academy. Among the four women was Commander Lilia L. Ramirez (Ret.) who is currently the Director of the International Programs Office, for the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate. By September 2006, Hispanics constituted 14 percent of Navy enlisted personnel, about the same as in the Marine Corps that year . The various recruitment efforts do have critics, both within and outside the Hispanic community, particularly during this time of war and a growing number of reported Hispanic casualties.