Author: Philippa Strum
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700617191
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 200
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Book Description
While Brown v. Board of Education remains much more famous, Mendez v. Westminster School District (1947) was actually the first case in which segregation in education was successfully challenged in federal court. Finally giving Mendez its due, Philippa Strum provides a concise and compelling account of its legal issues and legacy, while retaining its essential human face: that of Mexican Americans unwilling to accept second-class citizenship. 1945 Gonzalo and Felcitas 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. Uniquely, they did not claim racial discrimination, since Mexicans were legally considered white, but rather discrimination based on ancestry and supposed "language deficiency" that denied their children their Fourteenth Amendment rights to equal protection under the law. 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. Uniquely, they did not claim racial discrimination, since Mexicans were legally considered white, but rather discrimination based on ancestry and supposed "language deficiency" that denied their children their Fourteenth Amendment rights to equal protection under the law. Strum tells how, thanks to attorney David Marcus's carefully crafted arguments, federal district court judge Paul McCormick came to support the plaintiffs on the grounds that the social, psychological, and pedagogical costs of segregated education were damaging to Mexican-American children. The school districts claimed that federal courts had no jurisdiction over education, but the Ninth Circuit upheld McCormick's decision, ruling that the schools' actions violated California law. The appeal to the Ninth Circuit was supported by amicus briefs from leading civil liberties organizations, including the NAACP, which a few years later would adapt the arguments of Mendez in representing the plaintiffs in Brown. Strum effectively weaves together narrative and analysis with personality portraits to create a highly readable and accessible story, allowing us to hear the voices of all the protagonists. She also presents the issues evenhandedly, effectively balancing her presentation of arguments by both the plaintiffs and the schools that sought to continue the segregation of Mexican-American students. Ultimately, Mendez highlights how Mexican Americans took the lead to secure their civil rights and demonstrates how organization, courage, and persistence in the Mexican-American communities could overcome the racism of the school boards. Their inspiring example is particularly timely given the current controversies over immigration and the growing national interest in Latino life.
Author: John Sargeaunt
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Private schools
Languages : en
Pages : 428
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Book Description
Author: Michelle A. Purdy
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 1469643502
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 259
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Book Description
When traditionally white public schools in the South became sites of massive resistance in the wake of the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, numerous white students exited the public system altogether, with parents choosing homeschooling or private segregationist academies. But some historically white elite private schools opted to desegregate. The black students that attended these schools courageously navigated institutional and interpersonal racism but ultimately emerged as upwardly mobile leaders. Transforming the Elite tells this story. Focusing on the experiences of the first black students to desegregate Atlanta's well-known The Westminster Schools and national efforts to diversify private schools, Michelle A. Purdy combines social history with policy analysis in a dynamic narrative that expertly re-creates this overlooked history. Through gripping oral histories and rich archival research, this book showcases educational changes for black southerners during the civil rights movement including the political tensions confronted, struggles faced, and school cultures transformed during private school desegregation. This history foreshadows contemporary complexities at the heart of the black community's mixed feelings about charter schools, school choice, and education reform.
Author: Rudolph Ackermann
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52
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Book Description
Author: Winifred Conkling
Publisher: Yearling
ISBN: 158246345X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 162
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Book Description
Young Sylvia Mendez never expected to be at the center of a landmark legal battle. Young Aki Munemitsu never expected to be sent away from her home and her life as she knew it. The two girls definitely never expected to know each other, until their lives intersected on a Southern California farm in a way that changed the country forever. Who are Sylvia and Aki? And why did their family stories matter then and still matter today? This book reveals the remarkable, never-before-told story—based on true events—of Mendez vs. Westminster School District, the California court case that desegregated schools for Latino children and set the stage for Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education at the national level.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 836
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Book Description
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Charitable uses, trusts, and foundations
Languages : en
Pages : 908
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Book Description
Author: Gabbitas
Publisher: Kogan Page Publishers
ISBN: 0749464194
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 479
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Book Description
All parents want their child to be happy and successful at school, but few decisions are harder than identifying the right school for your child. The Independent Schools Guide, now in its 17th edition, provides all the guidance and advice needed to make the most informed decisions. The book includes an extstensive reference section for over 2,000 schools; details on fee planning, scholarships and bursaries; guidance for overseas parents, including language support and guardianship; and detailed profiles of over 200 schools and colleges. For any parent, guardian or carer who is considering the independent sector, the Guide is the definitive reference source.
Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
ISBN: 9781419710544
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 40
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Book Description
"Years before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez, an eight-year-old girl of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, played an instrumental role in Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark desegregation case of 1946 in California"--
Author: Tom Wheare
Publisher: John Catt Educational Ltd
ISBN: 1908095261
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 442
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Book Description
First published in 1924, 'Which School?' brings together in one volume a wide range of information and advice, updated annually, on independent education for children up to the age of 18 years.
