Ken Burns - ethnic politics

[dean_acheson]

Was reading this (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/14/navarrette/index.html) this morning, and viewed this quote a bit askance:

"If either PBS or Burns knew more about the ethnic group, they might have known that they were playing with dynamite. Hispanics are famously proud of their veterans, whose military service has produced a higher ratio of Medal of Honor recipients relative to population than any other ethnic group."

I was under the mistaken impression that this claim belonged to Japanese Americans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Regimental_Combat_Team). Am I crazy? Am I remembering this incorrectly? If Navarette gets this wrong, and put it up on the national circulars, I think it is pretty cheap politics.

Anybody know for sure?

[Heibges]

I believe the 442nd was the most decorated in WWII.

I am unsure about the demographics of one particular ethnic group since they started keeping records though, so it may well be Hispanic.

"Hispanic" is totally different than "Japanese".

An "Asian" to "Hispanic" Medal of Honor Ration would be more logical.

[dean_acheson]

hmmm, you have a very good point there.

I guess that I haven't ever seen a point like this, heroism as an ethnic statistic. It wasn't something that I had ever read before, and I've been reading about WWII for a long time now....

[Heibges]

I still can't figure out what all the fuss is about.

I tried to find info on the actual documentary, and I guess it took 6 years to make, and includes interviews with folks all around the country who both fought in the war, or lived through it on the homefront.

Maybe they felt that there just weren't enough stories about Latinos?

But Burns' Civil War had so many perspectives, I can't believe this would be something he would do on purpose.

[dean_acheson]

My understanding was that it would follow the stories of a few different people and towns.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_%28documentary%29

I think that Kenny has always produced good, pc history, even though those two things don't always jive....