Mendez V. Westminster

Background Information

In 1946, Gonzalo Mendez, along with four other Mexican-American family fathers, helped end racial segregation in California’s school districts. Mendez and his wife immigrated from Mexico to California. Both quickly became naturalized citizens of the United States, and became vegetable farmers (Mendez v. Westminster). The Mendez family lived in Westminster, considered to be white dominated neighborhood. In the Mendez v. Westminster case, Sylvia Mendez and her siblings, which were all dark skinned Mexicans, tried to enroll in white dominated school in Westminster. Along with the Mendez children, their cousins were trying to enroll as well. Their cousins, the Vidaurri children, had light skin complexions and French surnames, allowing them to be accepted into the school. Yet, the Mendez children were quickly denied enrollment, due to their skin color (Zonkel). At this time, society saw Mexicans as dirty and undereducated. They were unfairly seen as a lower class (United). Gonzalo Mendez, was outraged. He brought up this issue to both the principal and Orange County School District (Mendez). His argument proved unsuccessful. It was then, that this issue was brought into court.

Mexican children were not treated equally by attending segregated schools with substandard learning. The segregation based on nationality violated the equal protection clause guaranteed in the 14th amendment of the Constitution. Judge McCormick, who worked on this case ruled that it was unfair for colored children to have a lower level of education compared to the level of education white children received, “A paramount requisite in the American system of public education is social equality. It must be open to all children by unified school association regardless of lineage.” (Mendez). In 1947, the US Court of Appeals ruled a unanimous decision; segregation violated the California law. This resulted in California’s governor, Earl Warren, to pass a bill that desegregated all schools (Mendez). History was made. California became the first out of fifty states, to end school segregation. The Mendez v. Westminster case became an example for broader decisions, such as Brown v. Board of Education.

Connections to the Reading

Throughout history, those who weren’t white were belittled, segregated, and poorly treated. This discrimination violated the US Constitution, going against the guaranteed protection of every citizen’s natural rights. John F. Kennedy explained in his Address to the Nation on Civil Rights that every child or human should be allowed an opportunity to expand their talents, “we cannot say to ten percent of the population that you can't have that right; that your children cannot have the chance to develop whatever talents they have”. The government had failed in protecting their people from racial injustice. The government had indirectly