Being part of the military community brings so much honor and patriotism. Serving our country as active members of our military and also as military spouses comes with its fair share of issues that we are all well acquainted with. Within our community, throughout the different branches, there are many underrepresented groups struggling with unique challenges not everyone faces. As many know, the U.S military has been known historically to be one of the most diverse institutions in our country. Our military is now more racially and ethnically diverse in comparison to previous decades. This is something we should be proud of as our force keeps growing and troop readiness is a priority. Sadly, within the amazing diversity that encompasses our military, unique challenges impact our Latinx military families community.
If you are scratching your head, wondering what some of these challenges might be, I am here to explain and raise awareness on these issues and promote having tough conversations to better the quality of life for everyone in our community. At the end of the day, don’t we all want equality and justice for all?
Here are 5 challenges our Latinx military families face throughout a military enlistment.
1. Language Barriers
Not being able to communicate clearly can be a huge stressor for Latinx families. Many families come from different countries and English is not their first language which creates issues when learning about military life, finding community, seeking resources and overall feeling included. The language barrier is all-encompassing, it is the one main struggle that keeps many at bay and unfortunately takes time. For service members, this challenge, even though similar, has the initiative of the adaptability of language training before heading to basic training and before reaching their 1st duty station. However, for many families, the access to language learning resources is not the same.
2. Immigration policies
There are many military families who hold a residency status in the U.S. However, this means that some of them might still be waiting to be official citizens of this country. Immigration policies come with several hurdles and at times the process can be quite lengthy. With constant PCSing, the immigration process can face added scrutiny. The application for citizenship and its undertaking can be delayed, placed on hold or simply might need to restart if moving overseas. These policies might also impact their working capabilities which can prevent Latinx military families from supporting their household financially.
3. Educational barriers
Many Latinx military spouses have professional qualifications and degrees from other countries. One of the main issues many struggle with is the recognition of foreign educational credentials in the U.S. This is a lengthy process and can be detrimental to spouses who are seeking more educational advancement or are trying to use their degrees to find work in the U.S. Latinx military families also face hardships in education for their kids. Many children are bilingual and depending on the area they PCS to, the education can differ and many might not receive the ESL (English as a second language) programs to help them with their language proficiency.
4. Mental health
Latinx culture contexts in health care can be challenging. Navigating their cultural identity, their affiliation to the military, loneliness, lack of community and more can affect their mental health. Cultural and social stigmas can prevent Latinx military families from seeking help. This of course can be alarming when in a broader aspect our military community already struggles with mental health. Access to mental health providers who have cultural awareness, have respect for other ethnicities and heritage and most of all share inclusive practices is fundamental. Providers who can offer the care these families need while showing relevant support is needed across our military health care system.
5. Discrimination and Racism
Just because you do not hear about it doesn’t mean it is not happening. Latinx military families deal with prejudice, stereotypes and exclusion on base and off base. Ethnic biases from military spouses and others from our military community can add to the list of stressors we face. Anti-discrimination policies should be strict in order to create a more unifying military community where everyone feels safe. Policies already in place help our service members but keep our families unprotected. From micro-aggressions, to implicit and explicit racism, Latinx military families have experienced these and it is affecting their decision to stay part of the military.
From cultural barriers, relocations, access to health care, economic struggles and more. There are unique challenges for Latinx Military families that hinder their military lifestyle. It is important to build up our Latinx community within the ranks to encourage re-enlistments, quality of life and strengthen our community overall.