What is the significance of the case of Mendez v Westminster?
Mendez v. Westminster. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Mendez, et al v. Westminister [sic] School District of Orange County, et al, 64 F.Supp. 544 (S.D. Cal. 1946), aff’d, 161 F.2d 774 (9th Cir. 1947) (en banc), was a 1947 federal court case that challenged Mexican remedial schools in Orange County, California.
Why did the mendezs go to court?
In 1945 Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez, California farmers, sent their children off to the local school, only to be told that the youngsters would have to attend a separate facility reserved for Mexican Americans. In response the Mendezes and other aggrieved parents from nearby school districts went to federal court to challenge the segregation.
What was the result of the Mendez v McCormick case?
Senior District Judge Paul J. McCormick, sitting in Los Angeles, presided at the trial and ruled in favor of Mendez and his co-plaintiffs on February 18, 1946 in finding that separate schools for Mexicans to be an unconstitutional denial of equal protection.
What is the significance of the Westminster case?
Westminster plays an underappreciated role in the struggle for civil rights in the United States. Strum brings the people and debates of the case vividly to life, particularly the dedication of the Latino parents at the center of the case who fought for equal education for their children in public schools. . . .
What was the outcome of Mendez v McCormick?
The school districts appealed, claiming that the federal courts did not have jurisdiction over education, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately upheld McCormick’s decision on April 14, 1947, ruling that the schools’ actions violated California law. The Mendez v.
Who is Gonzalo Mendez and what did she do?
Gonzalo Mendez, represented by a civil rights attorney, took four Los Angeles-area school districts to court and won a class action lawsuit at the trial and appellate levels of the federal court system. Ms. Mendez carries on the legacy of Mendez v. Westminster when she explains that her parents taught her:
What happened to the Mendez family in Orange County?
Gonzalo dedicated the next year to a lawsuit against the Westminster School District of Orange County. The school district offered to compromise by allowing the Mendez children to attend the elementary school without any other student of Mexican-American descent. The Mendez family declined the offer and continued the lawsuit.