On Two Fronts: Latinos & Vietnam | Full Episode

On Two Fronts: Latinos & Vietnam examines the Latino experience during a war that placed its heaviest burden on working-class youth and their communities. Framing the film are memoirs of two siblings, Everett and Delia Alvarez, who stood on opposite sides of the Vietnam War, one as a POW and the other protesting at home.

On Two Fronts: Latinos & Vietnam examines the Latino experience during a war that placed its heaviest burden on working-class youth and their communities. Framing the film are memoirs of two siblings, Everett and Delia Alvarez, who stood on opposite sides of the Vietnam War, one as a POW and the other protesting at home.

As the war continued in Vietnam, Chicano protestors began organizing at home. Thousands marched to end the war and speak out against what they saw as injustice on the part of their country and communities. One activist, Delia Alvarez, was at political odds with her own brother, a POW in Hanoi.

After seeing the way working-class families were treated by the draft system, Julian Camacho resigned from his position on the draft board to protest the war in Vietnam.

After serving in Vietnam, many veterans had difficulty returning home. Acclimating to life after combat was not what they’d expected, and some of them still feel traumatized and alienated by their experiences in the war.

There’s a long tradition of Latino-Americans serving in the military going back to World War II. For many families, it’s been a way to demonstrate their patriotism and secure their position in society.