Family Retention: Military Families of Color
By Sally Velez | DEPLOY Family Retention Fellow
Recently, there has been a discussion about Vice President Kamala Harris being biracial. Reading how she only affiliates with one racial identity is a discredit to her and her heritage. Because you can identify with both identities, growing up, being half white and half Hispanic (Mexican) meant I was too white for many people, but I was too brown for others. Being mixed race, even though I am mostly white passing, still comes with its own set of baggage, one that others can weaponize. To some, if I identify with being Hispanic in one instance, that means I disregard entirely being white and vice versa. That isn't the case, though.
Even though I have struggled with being mixed race — I am white passing — I have a lot of privileges that many of my family members are not afforded, and that my own mother is not afforded. My 'Americaness' has never been questioned. I haven't had ICE ask me to prove my citizenship, as opposed to some of my family members, all because they look more Mexican than I do. As a military spouse, I have the privilege of blending in wherever my partner's career takes us. I have learned to navigate and utilize being half-white and half-Hispanic, but not everyone can do that.
There is a theme that I think many of my blogs follow, and that many military family quality of life struggles stem from — frequent relocations. Blue Star Families has found that nearly two-thirds of military families live within the local community and are off military installations. Feeling welcomed and accepted in one's community is important, and unfortunately, racial bias is still something that occurs. Feeling unwelcome in one's community impacts military families' quality of life. Blue Star Families’ 2022 Campaign For Inclusion research found that experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination appear to impact military family well-being, civilian communities, and military recruitment readiness. On average, military families move every two to three years, and I imagine facing racial/ethnic discrimination in the new place one now calls home to be a myriad of things. Scary, isolating, and disheartening are among the top words I can use to describe such things.
Similar to Blue Star Family findings, the IVMF found that while 89% of Black and African American service members believe joining the armed services is a good decision, 56% have considered "racial/ethnic discrimination" in their decision-making process. I will never understand the experience of racial/ethnic discrimination and the decision-making process, but I can understand as a parent to an LGBTQIA+ youth. The thought of going to a state or location that is not welcoming to you and your family is terrifying. I can empathize with making decisions based on discrimination due to sexual orientation. While there are stark differences, I can empathize with the feelings regarding the situation.
So I ask everyone reading this, and others, what can we do to ensure we are not marginalizing anyone? As a community, we need to ensure that we are welcoming to everyone and not discriminatory because of biases. The Campaign for Inclusion found that for military families of color, finding a community that embraces diversity is essential — more so than their white peers. Being supportive and embracing diversity, especially families of color that may be affiliated with other communities that are regularly marginalized, such as the LGBTQIA+ community. Being supportive isn't enough. We also need to continue advocating for change and equality for all, especially for our military families of color who have no choice in where they live. No one should ever feel unwelcome in their community.