Chiquita AFRS Collection

Hispanic Americans formed an important part of the armed services during WWII, just as they continue to be today. Official statistics were not kept as in the case of African- and Asian-American troops. Out of a total force of 12,000,000, between 250,000 and 500,000 are believed to have been Hispanic.

Hispanics represent the second oldest (after Native American Peoples) ethnic group in what is now the United States. As such, there is a great deal of diversity in Latin American cultures. Ancestry can be traced to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, as well as Spain itself. Cultural commonalities include religion, language, and music.

In 1945, the Armed Forces Radio Service began to directly serve its Hispanic audience with the Chiquita program, hosted by Chiquita Juarez. Ms. Juarez may have had a few small film roles, as well as appearing on Ripley's Believe It Or Not. She was also featured on a Father's Day episode of Duffy's Tavern as one of Archie the Bartender's potential conquests.

Chiquita followed a DJ format with Ms. Juarez introducing the various acts in highly accented English. Musical forms included Central and South American bands as well as rhythmic Caribbean sounds in traditional, Big Band, instrumental, and vocal arrangements.