In Proving Patriotismo, Jessica Lavariega Monforti and Adam McGlynn examine the Latino experience in the most diverse US institution: the US military. In this book, Lavariega Monforti and McGlynn offer a thoughtful and groundbreaking investigation of how Latinos are recruited into the military, what their experiences are, and the extent to which this US institution can, if at all, yield greater acceptance, inclusion, and socioeconomic mobility for members of this community. In addition to being academically rich, their account also gives voice and agency to Latino youth and veterans in the too-often-ignored community of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), also known as el valle. This multimethod book is thorough in its investigation of the multitude of factors that shape the process of military service for Latinos, with the sobering finding that military service is a hollow promise for Latinos.

First and foremost, the book deserves praise for its ambitious methodological approach. Proving Patriotismo builds upon multiple sources of data including an original survey of high school students; references an original survey with veterans, in-depth interviews with teachers, counselors, school administrators, and JROTC instructors; and relies on national-level survey data to make the compelling argument that while the US military has the potential of improving the lives of Latinos, in many cases, it fails to do so. The book details how Latinos are encouraged to enlist in military service in an environment with high levels of poverty and information asymmetry. Latinos are exposed to certain glorified and venerated aspects of serving in the military, but other information is omitted, resulting in a process in which Latinos are taken advantage. Furthermore, the book demonstrates how school environments facilitate the military recruitment process, as the presence of recruiters has become the norm in many high school campuses. Yet few school administrators limit (or even know they can limit) the presence of military recruiters in their schools.

Chapter 1 presents a theoretical framework to understand why Latinos view the military as a pathway toward belonging and claiming citizenship. This chapter also uses rational choice theory to better understand the motivations of the US military and its recruiters. In doing so, the authors argue that the military can be seen as an institution that wants, and needs to, increase its ranks. The military sees Latinos, and their growing share of the US population, as a means to achieve this goal.

Using a large-n survey of high school students, chapter 2 demonstrates that there is a poverty draft among the Latino community in the RGV. Not only is there a disproportionate presence of JROTC in the RGV schools, compared to schools in other US regions with large shares of Latinos, but also recruiters disproportionately contact and recruit economically disadvantaged Latino students. In chapter 3, the authors rely on interview data with school administrators, counselors, and teachers to demonstrate that there is no consensus among school staff on what the military presence means for their students or how to manage it. This lack of agreement means that some schools will inevitably foster the omnipresence of recruiters on their campus and facilitate the recruitment of talented poor Latino young adults into the military.

By relying on the survey of high school students and veterans, chapter 4 details how young Latinos join the military under the guise of improving their life chances. The authors masterfully pair the attitudes of Latino youth with the lived experiences of Latino veterans, to fully capture whether these early perceptions ultimately hold. Despite the promise of the military’s benefits, half of Latino veterans reported being unemployed and reported low levels of feelings of acceptance and recognition.

Chapter 5 is a must read for those interested in the gendered experience and impact of the military on Latinos and Latinas. Latinas’ greater representation among women members of the military (relative to Latinos) makes this chapter a particularly important endeavor. Through an examination of the gender gap in military recruitment, the authors find that there is a gender difference in military recruiter contact, as well as in the messages received by Latinas and Latinos. Ultimately, these findings underscore the importance of an intersectional approach to fully comprehend the experience of a diverse group.

The book is a timely and important contribution. Its methods are strong, the findings are not only compelling but also sobering. Some readers might take issue with the emerging critique of the US military. However, the authors are careful in their analysis and present a holistic and an empirically driven account. They also recognize when and how the US military can be beneficial for Latinos (see chapter 4 on how it can increase motivations to engage politically). Overall, the account of the US military is well measured and empirically sound.

The book’s focus on the RGV showcases how in this unique transborder region, serious poverty and pockets of wealth can coexist and how Latinos have been subject to exploitation, but also how they can have agency and moments of resistance. While other readers might see this regional focus as a shortcoming, it is an important strength through which the authors skillfully capture the attitudes and experiences of multiple actors in the military recruitment process in this region. Similarly, the book’s singular focus on the Latino community allows the authors to do a deep dive into the many intricacies involved in this process. This approach is also necessary to consider the heterogeneity within the Latino community, which is an important contribution of the book. What stands out the most from this book is the richness of the empirics and the evidence put forth to demonstrate how Latinos are recruited and what their experiences are with the military. All this makes this book a much-needed contribution in the study of American politics, race, and ethnic politics and education.

While the book provides strong and compelling answers to how Latinos come to serve in the military, it leaves us wondering how exactly Latino military service has created political agency among its veterans. Secondly, it leaves us curious about how Latino patriotism and military service is viewed among native-born non-Latinos. As the authors mention, the book sets the ground for further examination of these questions and so much more.

In conclusion, Proving Patriotismo is an engaging, thoughtful, and powerful book that provides a systematic investigation of Latino involvement in the military. It would be a fantastic addition to undergraduate and graduate courses. Although the book is primarily geared toward an academic audience, the implications are far reaching. Practitioners and educators will find its conclusions incredibly impactful and may rely on them to push toward a more transparent and equitable military recruitment process.