Mendez v. Westminster

Before brown v. board of education School Finance based on Whites Only 1895 Plessy v. Ferguson 1896 “separate but equal” First laws prohibiting Mexican immigration 1924 Internment Camps Begin 1942 Mendez v. Westminster 1946 Brown v. Topeka Board of Education 1954

Signs of the time This was a common sign to see at the same time that civil rights were being fought for by Black Americans in the United States. At this time “Mexican” students and other would become sick with tuberculosis and other infections and this was attributed to the fact that “Mexicans” were just more susceptible to illness.

“Mexican” schools & Life Schools Subjects Girls were taught how to sew Boys were taught to garden and work with wood. Public Places Served last in restaurants Were only allowed to swim one day a week in public pools – drained the next day.

Mendez family Parents Had 3 children Both U.S. Citizens Gonzalo Mendez Mexican Felicitas Mendez Puerto Rican Had 3 children Silvia Gonzalo Jr. Jerome

Case history Mendez family was asked to look after the asparagus farm for a Japanese family that was being sent to internment camps. Mendez family was told their children had to go to Hoover Elementary and NOT Westminster Principal, Superintendent and Board of Education denied their appeals. Education Code of the Time “The governing board of any school district may establish separate schools for Indian children, excepting children of Indians who are wards of the United States Government and children of all other Indians who are descendants of the original American Indians of the United States, and for children of Chinese, Japanese, or Mongolian parentage”

Why didn’t it apply to the whole u.s.? It was brought before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and NOT the Supreme Court of the United States

Brown v. board of education “Any language in Plessy v. Ferguson contrary to this finding is rejected. We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of "separate but equal" has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Silvia Mendez The daughter of Gonzalo Mendez and Felicitas Mendez received the 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Education code in the news Arizona 2011 Changes What does this change? A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL IN THIS STATE SHALL NOT INCLUDE IN ITS PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION ANY COURSES OR CLASSES THAT INCLUDE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: PROMOTE THE OVERTHROW OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. PROMOTE RESENTMENT TOWARD A RACE OR CLASS OF PEOPLE. ARE DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR PUPILS OF A PARTICULAR ETHNIC GROUP. ADVOCATE ETHNIC SOLIDARITY INSTEAD OF THE TREATMENT OF PUPILS AS INDIVIDUALS. Under this law some schools had to stop teaching Mexican American Studies courses and other courses specific to one race of people. What do you think about these changes?