The Department of African American Studies honors the life and legacy of 2nd Lieutenant Esteban Hotesse.

2nd Lieutenant Esteban Hotesse was known as the only Afro-Latino member of the Tuskegee Airmen. Born in the Dominican Republic, Hotesse was one of the few people born in a Spanish-speaking nation to serve the United States during World War II.The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military aviators in the United States armed forces. During their years of operation from 1940 to 1946, 996 pilots were trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field.

Colonel Robert Selway, a white United States Army Air Forces officer and first commanding officer of the Tuskegee Airmen's 477th Medium Bombardment Group within the First Air Force, designated the Officer's Club for "supervisory and instructor personnel" and another more substandard facility for "trainees." On purpose, Selway classified all members of the all-black 447th Bombardment, including Hotesse, as "trainees" thus segregating the officer clubs by race and violating an defense rule prohibiting any public building on a military installation from being used "for the accommodation of any self-constituted special or exclusive group". While serving, Hotesse participated in a number of peaceful demonstrations against the segregation of officers where he and 101 other men were arrested and most released. 

Today, February 21, marked as the 81st anniversary of Hotesse enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps. Approximately 445 were deployed overseas and 150 lost their lives during that period. Sixty-six pilots were killed in action or accidents and 32 were captured and held as prisoners of war. Unfortunately, Hotesse, 26, was of one of the causalities after a tragic crash from an aircraft training exercise.