Nation in uniform: Chicano/Latino war narratives and the construction of nation in the Korean War and Vietnam War

UnrestrictedMy dissertation examines narrative constructions of nation in war novels and autobiographies written by Chicano/Latino authors between the years of 1951-1976. I focus on the two major American wars of this period: the Korean War and the Vietnam War. I argue that in the face of discrimination and oppression, these authors engage in a narrative reconstruction of the United States as a heterogeneous, yet interconnected nation. The first half of the dissertation focuses on the Korean War. In many respects, these Korean War veterans set the stage for Latino veterans of the Vietnam War by focusing on the importance of public recognition of their service, not only as Americans but as Americans of Spanish-speaking background. In the first section, I also have a chapter focusing on Rolando Hinojosa's Korean War Trilogy. In the second portion of the dissertation I focus on cultural debates regarding Latino participation in the Vietnam War. I explore masculinity in the autobiographies of Roy Benavidez and Everette Alvarez. In the final chapter I focus on trauma in Alfredo Vea's Gods go Begging