Black Mail Blog

Black History:  Special Delivery!!

Esteban Hotesse (1919 – 1946) is the only known Latinx member of the Tuskegee Airmen.  The Tuskegee Airmen was a black military unit that saw combat during World War II.  Hotesse was born in Moca, Dominican Republic and immigrated to the U.S. with his mother and younger sister in 1923.  The family settled in Manhattan.  Hotesse enlisted into the Army Air Corp in 1942.  He was first assigned to the 619^th Bombadier Squadron, which later merged with the 477^th Bomdadier Group M in 1944.  The 477^th was one of the Tuskegee Airmen squadrons that remained stationed in the U.S. and did not see combat overseas. The 477^th did, however have to combat racism and discrimination on U.S. soil.  The 477^th and 619th merged after the military leaders began receiving pressure to provide more opportunities for black soldiers to fill key positions in the air corp.