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Hispanics in the United States Navy can trace their tradition of naval military service to men such as Lieutenant Jordi Farragut Mesquida, who served in the American Revolution. Hispanics, such as Seaman Philip Bazaar and Seaman John Ortega, have distinguished themselves in combat and have been awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration of the United States. Hispanics have also reached the top ranks of the Navy, serving their country in sensitive leadership positions on domestic and foreign shores. Among those who have reached the highest ranks in the Navy are Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy, of Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jewish descent, who participated in the War of 1812 as an assistant Sailing master; Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, for whom the rank of Admiral in the U.S. Navy was created during the American Civil War; and Admiral Horacio Rivero, who led the Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Hispanic is an ethnic term employed to categorize any citizen or resident of the United States, of any racial background, of any country, and of any religion, who has at least one ancestor from the people of Spain or is of non-Hispanic origin, but has an ancestor from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central or South America, or some other Hispanic origin. The three largest Hispanic groups in the United States are the Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans.〔(Hispanic Population of the United States Current Population Survey Definition and Background ), United States Census Bureau, Population Division, Ethnic & Hispanic Statistics Branch, Retrieved May 21, 2008〕〔"(Who are Hispanic Americans? )", Fault Line, September 1996, Retrieved May 21, 2008〕 According to the U.S. Census Bureau the estimated Hispanic population of the United States is over 50 million, or 16% of the U.S. population, and Hispanics are the nation's largest ethnic or racial minority.〔http://newamericamedia.org/2011/03/census-latino-asian-population-soars-43-percent-across-us.php〕 The 2010 U.S. Census estimate of over 50 million Hispanics in the U.S. does ''not'' include the 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico. More than 43,000 people of Hispanic origin are sailors and civilians serving with the U.S. Navy.〔(Navy Celebrates Hispanic Heritage ), United States Navy, Retrieved May 21, 2008〕 The United States Navy has implemented aggressive recruitment programs directed towards this group. One of those programs is ''El Navy'', whose principal aim is to attract those who speak Spanish. It has resulted in increased recruitment of Hispanics for entrance to the United States Naval Academy. As of April 2007, thirteen Hispanic Americans who were graduates of the USNA, and nine who were commissioned after attending the Navy's officer candidate school, have reached the rank of Rear Admiral and above. ==American Revolution and the War of 1812== The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was disbanded shortly thereafter. The United States Constitution provided the legal basis for a seaborne military force by giving Congress the power "to provide and maintain a navy."〔("Constitution of the United States" ). The National Archives Experience, Retrieved May 21, 2008.〕 Attacks against American shipping by Barbary Coast corsairs spurred Congress to employ this power by passing the Naval Act of 1794 ordering the construction and manning of six frigates.〔Palmer, Michael A. "(The Navy: The Continental Period, 1775-1890 )". Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center Official website, Retrieved May 21, 2008.〕 Lieutenant Jordi Farragut Mesquida, (1755–1817) was a Spanish–Catalan by descent and a Minorquin by birth. He immigrated to the American colonies and participated in the American Revolution as a lieutenant in the South Carolina Navy. During the Revolution, he fought the British at Savannah, Georgia, and in 1780 was captured during the battle of Charleston, South Carolina. He was released in a prisoner exchange and volunteered in the militia which fought at the Battle of Cowpens and Wilmington, North Carolina. Farragut Mesquida married Elizabeth Shine and had two sons, one of them was David Farragut.〔 Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy (1792–1862), a Sephardic Jew whose ancestors were from Portugal, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the great-great-grandson of Dr. Samuel Nunez, the leader of the first Jewish colonists who helped found Savannah, Georgia.〔(Marc Leepson, ''Saving Monticello: Publisher: Free Pr: ISBN 978-0-7432-2602-8 ), Retrieved May 21, 2008〕〔"(2006 Jewish statistics around the world )", Jewish Virtual Library, Retrieved May 21, 2008〕 Levy was assigned sailing master on the , which interdicted English ships in the English Channel during the War of 1812. The ship confiscated more than twenty vessels, but was captured in 1813 and Levy and rest of the crew were taken prisoner until the end of the war. Upon his return to the United States, Levy served as the sailing master on the 74-gun ship and in 1817 was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He was promoted to the rank of master commandant in 1837, and the rank of captain in 1844. In 1855, Levy was given the courtesy title of commodore, in recognition of his superior abilities, making him one of the Navy's highest-ranking officers and the first Sephardic Jew of Hispanic descent to reach the rank, which at the time was the highest rank in the U.S. Navy.〔Robert D., Gold, Albert Abrahams, ''THE COMMODORE THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF URIAH P. LEVY'', New York: Jewish Publication Society (1954), p. 112 ASIN: B000IORAXI〕〔"(History of the Sephardic Jews )", ''Orbis Latinus'', Retrieved April 1, 2009〕〔"(URIAH P. LEVY Sephardic Jew )", American Sephardi Federation, Retrieved May 21, 2008〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hispanics in the United States Navy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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