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There were not very many Asians that I went through
the Officer training with, but there were some. Most were white
and minorities were not as numerous as in the enlisted ranks.
I don’t think this is a reflection of the Marine Corps
selection process; I think it’s a function of minorities’
selection.
For minorities that do not have a college education,
the service is an attractive option to the civilian sector where
they only qualify for less than desirable jobs with little chance
for advancement. But for a minority with a college degree, the
civilian sector more heavily recruits them for good jobs. If
they are qualified, the company gets a valuable employee and
keeps the company out of hot water by having minorities on staff.
I’m sure some hire less-than-qualified minorities for
these reasons but I’d like to think that the vast majority
hire on performance, like the Marine Corps does.
Simply put, a college educated minority has two things
to offer the civilian sector; an education and a minority slot.
Therefore, they have more options for more benefits. In the
Corps, we base it on performance only and it matters not what
minority he or she belongs to. Plus, we can’t usually
match the monetary offers from the civilian sector that want
them. We have more intangible benefits that we think outweigh
the tangible ones.
People sometimes do not understand this and think that
the large white population in our Officer ranks is due to prejudice
or targeting minorities for the weeding out process.
I couldn’t give you numbers but an Asian Officer
is rare but not non-existent. And just like other minorities
and whites alike, I’ve met good ones and bad ones. Again,
it’s based on performance. Your ethnicity will not have
any bearing on your success. Although I’m half Mexican,
I consider myself 100% Marine Officer and that’s how the
other Officers see it too.
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