Latinos have been a mainstay in all areas of sports : Oscar de la Hoya , Alex Rodriguez , Nancy Lopez , Fernando Valenzuela and Roberto Clemente have contributed to the sport . And , lastly , Latinos have answered the call for military service in our country and comprise a significant population representing all areas of the armed services . It is estimated between 250,000 to 500,000 Latinos served and fought in World War II with exact numbers unavailable as the military did not record nor track race and ethnicity , considering Latinos as white .
On a lighter note , another undeniable Latino influence has been the impact on the eating habits of many Americas . An example of a Mexican food considered American and not ethnic anymore is the ancient “ flat-bread ’ or tortilla . According to the Daily Mail , “ tortillas are now outselling more traditional American fare , like burger rolls and hotdog buns . Salsa , meanwhile , is outstripping the American Classic Ketchup as a condiment , industry watchers report .” In fact , sales of Latino foods and drinks are expected to hit $ 11 billion this year . Reports are that tortillas alone are the number one gateway food and The Tortilla Industry Association , indicates that Americans will eat at least 85 billion tortillas in a 12-month period ! Even tortilla chips are giving potato chips a run for their money with reported increases in annual sales . The rise of these Latino foods is attributed to the rising Latino population
which is leading to the mass integration of Mexican fare into American culture .
I will end this article the same way that I started – with Ursulo Perez . Born in 1869 in Zacatecas , Mexico . Died in San Jose , California in 1974 at the age of 105 . An avid Spanish reader who gifted to one of his grandsons , Dr . John Perez , the greatest book in the Spanish language , Don Quixote de la Mancha . He leaves behind six generations of family with over 600 descendants living throughout the United States . A beautiful life about one immigrant ’ s crossing into the United States with familiar refrains of why so many others have crossed .
Rachel Perez has lived in Gilroy since 1979 with her husband , John , and children , Almendra , John and Ursula . Rachel is a retired educator and currently serves on the Gavilan College Board of Trustees .
Street Scene , East Los Angeles , 1920 Vicenta and Ursulo , circa 1925
Mexican Forman , 1946 Street Scene , East Los Angeles , 1940
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 gmhtoday . com