Members of the Hispanic and Latino communities have been a consistent force in the United States Military going back to the Revolutionary War with 59 individuals receiving the Medal of Honor. According to the 2022 Demographics: Profile of the Military Community, 18.4% of all active duty members identify as Hispanic or Latino, with the number being similar in the selected reserves with 15.4% self-identifying.
According to VA’s Office of Health Equity (OHE), from 2019 to 2045, the population of Hispanic veterans will increase from 8 percent to 12 percent. Much like Black veterans, the incidence of racial inequities in the military for Hispanic or Latino veterans is alarming. For example, according to VA’s 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (PDF | 2 MB), from 2020 to 2021 there was a .5% increase in suicide rates for Hispanic veterans.
It is believed that members of the Hispanic population are grossly underserved by mental health programming. At the forefront of this may be race and ethnicity-based differences, including language, cultural norms regarding mental health-seeking behavior, and lack of provider diversity, among other barriers. Hispanic/Latino Veterans are often at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes (PDF | 795 KB). According to the Center for American Progress, Even when we control for factors like hazardous combat experience, Hispanic veterans have higher rates and severity of post-traumatic stress disorder than their white or African American counterparts.
American Latino Veterans Association
The American Latino Veterans Association is a registered 501c3 that exists to help American Latino veterans thrive after their military service, access the benefits they have earned, and enhance recognition of Latino contributions to our nation’s defense since before its inception.
Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance
The Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance is a non-profit organization composed of senior military and civilian leaders committed to overcoming the [limited] representation and inclusion of Hispanic and Latino people throughout the senior ranks of the U.S. Department of Defense. Their mission is to advance the inclusion of Latinos across all leadership levels in the U.S. Armed Forces, military and civilian.
League of United Latin American Citizens Veterans
The League of United Latin American Citizens is the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. This organization honors and empowers veterans. The website includes veteran visa resources.
National Latino Behavioral Health Association
The National Latino Behavioral Health Association was established to fill a need for a unified national voice for Latino populations in the behavioral health arena and to bring attention to the great disparities that exist in areas of access, utilization, practice-based research, and adequately trained personnel.