What Latinos actually served in World War 2? I would figure those born in the US who were citizens and had valid addresses to be contacted by the US Army as well as those who enlisted. There were a fair number of Mexican citizens who came to the US to join the US military and were awarded with citizenship. Many later returned home, anyway.
The bigger picture is: 407,000 US citizens died defending the world, including Latin America from two major forces that would have considered them an inferior race fit for enslavement or at least second class citizenhood. Despite what has become a popular notion among "people of color" who harp about American imperialism, this world was ripe for takeover from a number of other races--but the US and its allies valiantly fought to preserve an ethnically diverse community of nations with the greatest guarantee of freedom for all parties. Not perfect, but better than the other likely scenarios.
What did Latin America contribute? For the most part belated declarations of war against the Axis but little practical help, and the need to be prodded by the US to sell us vital commodities or to use their territory for strategic bases. Brazil did send a force early on, numbering 25,000 to the European Theatre. There were about 800 volunteers fron Argentina on the Allied side. And Mexico, quite late in the War, sent a small force to the Philipines and an air squadron that flew a total of 1900 hours, using American aircraft that were exchanged for petoleum.
Americans and British and allied forces freed Northern African Arabs of Nazi invaders and liberated Catholic populations in many nations. My dad was in the African Theatre and the invasion of Italy.
For detailed information of WW2 participants se the Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participan ... rld_War_II