From a reader:
our post-WWII agreements with the Philippines included accessing Filipinos in the US armed forces and awarding them accelerated citizenship for their service (and allowing them to maintain dual citizenship even while serving. This aspect of the agreement was the main factor in the de facto segregation of most Filipinos into enlisted specialties that didn’t require security clearances. Those who decided to move into the officer ranks, or pursue specialties that required higher security clearances, relinquished Philippine citizenship, and had usually moved their entire extended families to the US). Since we had had a special relationship with the Philippines since the Spanish-American War, this made more sense that recruiting from, say, India. DOD has continued to recruit immigrants who have applied for citizenship, and in fact just recently Gov Schwarzenegger swore in dozens of new uniformed citizens on the deck of an aircraft carrier in San Diego. I have no problem with recruiting non-citizens, as long as they’ve applied for citizenship and are preparing themselves for the citizenship test — and as long as we continue to reserve positions of responsibility, and those requiring security clearances, for full citizens.