The Fight for Mexican- American Rights
Chicanos throughout the country began to stand up for their civil rights in the 1940's. Many were excluded from public centers and were not allowed into areas which were only permitted for whites.
Certain organizations such as the Associated Farmers of Orange County, opposed the Mendez v. Westminster court ruling. They formed campaigns that attacked and denounced the Mexican community. The Mendez v. Westminster case was not only a result of the fervor of the Chicano movement but a great contribution in the fight for Mexican- American rights. |
"It is not who you attend school with, but who controls the school you attend." Nikki Giovanni
Like Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez, Mexican families sought a better education for their children. They wanted their children to have the same opportunities and rights the other children at the 17th Street School received. The Hoover school, for Mexican-American students, offered limited educational opportunities. The 17th Street School's reasons for segregating Mexican- American students were that their IQ was too low, they did not follow the proper academic forms of instruction, their Spanish was subordinate to English, and they had "negative aspects of culture".
It took a powerful leader like Gonzalo Mendez to undertake the injustices that were being directed towards his family and community. Therefore, he decided to form a mass movement that would end racial segregation. Mr. Mendez rallied several multi-ethnic communities to join his cause. He reached out to the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and other organizations including the American Jewish Congress. Gonzalo Mendez gathered families from Orange County to support the cause that could transform their children's future.The Mendez, Guzman, Palomino, Estrada, and Ramirez families sued four school disticts for denying their children equal rights to education.
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