Mendez Vs Westminster

We’ve all heard about the Brown Vs Board of education movement by why haven’t we heard about Sylvia Mendez and the giant case she plays a role in that took place seven years before? Right that paved the way for the Brown VS Board case, that helped lead them to win is said in “Mendez vs Westminster: paving the way to school segregation”.(Costly, pg.1) Sylvia Mendez was an eight-year-old girl who was born in America with immigrant parents after her father became legal working as a farmer.

In “Mendez vs westminster: paving the way to school segregation,””Sylvia’s parent sent her and her siblings over to an all white school in Orange County California when the school rejected the kids from the school because they were Mexican-American her parents and four other families sued the school to desegregate the schools so that all Mexican-American kids could join the school because they had better educational resources(Costly). According To “Mendez vs westminster: paving the way to school segregation,”” California never included children of Mexican ancestry with Blacks, Indians, and Asians in its state school segregation laws. Mexican-American, children only became a target of local segregation efforts after 1900 when their numbers grew rapidly in the school. (Costly, pg.1)

In “Mendez vs westminster: paving the way to school segregation” the section called Racial segregation talks about how in California segregation has a pattern. Each race Black, Asians and Indian all wanted to be allowed to enroll in an all white school however instead the supreme court would assign them to a new school a school which was full of their race.(Costly, pg 1&2) Sylvia parents won right by proving that the the Mendez kids in a Mexican school hurt the kids because they wouldn’t be growing mentally, they would instead be damaging them because the kids wouldn’t be learning to speak proper English. Another piece of evidence they used was when they tried to enroll was that the school allowed Sylvia’s cousins in who had a French last name and were Mexican-American.(Costly pg.2) Within “Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans. It’s about everybody coming together” The school that was built for the mexican school was two shacks put together next to a cow pasture but across the road was the white school with fancy cut grass and awesome playgrounds that lead Sylvia to believe that, that’s what her parents were fighting for. (Kandil) in the article “Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans.

It’s about everybody coming together” Fighting in court everyday didn’t only help mendez realise that it wasn’t about a silly new playground but it was for racial equality not only to Mexican-Americans but to all races and bringing them together.(Kandil) In “Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans. It’s about everybody coming together” Mexican schools where ran like sweatshops in a way because of learning how to speak, read or even write english the kids were taught to crochet and knit.(Kandil) In “Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans. It’s about everybody coming together” The school board claimed that mexican schools were there because the mexican had special needs that couldn’t be taught at white schools they also claimed that the white schools weren’t best for them like the mexican schools were.(Kandil) After the Sylvia’s parents won the case it was the beginning of anyone realising how the schools weren’t following the 14th amendment and made people across the nation question it.is said in “Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans.

It’s about everybody coming together” (Kandil) “”Sylvia Méndez, A Champion Of Racial Tolerance And Equality In Education””) says On September 21, 1947 Sylvia and her brother enroll in a white school called 17th street school the school that had rejected them the first time. After school Sylvia became a nurse and resumed the work her father and mother worked so hard to achieve(“”Sylvia Méndez, A Champion Of Racial Tolerance And Equality In Education””). In “Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans. It’s about everybody coming together” In 1988 Sylvia mother passed away from being ill and in 2000 a school was put up in her parents honor.(Kandil) In “”Sylvia Méndez, A Champion Of Racial Tolerance And Equality In Education””).To this day Sylvia goes around the US schools and talks to latino students and parent because they have the most drop out rate. She asks them to keep them in school because even though it may be hard it’s worth it for the kids so that they can grow and progress within the American communities no matter there financial status. “”Sylvia Méndez, A Champion Of Racial Tolerance And Equality In Education””).

This story isn’t even in the california board of education, its seems as though they wanted it forgotten or they are truly embarrassed by it. (“”About Us””) This story is finally getting the justice it should have gotten and the recognition it deserves sylvia has dedicated her life to keep her parents legacies and help latinos know that they are just as equal as any race around them. (“”About Us””) In 2010 Barack Obama awarded Sylvia with the presidential freedom award for having the countries having national interest in schools.(“”Sylvia Mendez, School Desegregation Pioneer, Honored At White House – NEA Today””) On March 28, 2018, the Westminster City Council voted to approve plans for a park and monument to the Mendez family and has previously named a bike path in the family’s honor. (“”71 Years Ago This Case Ended Segregation In California And Made Brown V. Board Of Education Possible””)This case is a reminder that in many ways, things really have not changed much, as much of the Mexican-American community continues to struggle to obtain a just and equitable education.(“”71 Years Ago This Case Ended Segregation In California And Made Brown V. Board Of Education Possible””)In fact, schools have gotten steadily more segregated in recent decades.

According to research from UCLA’s Civil Rights Project, black students are just as segregated today as they were in the 1960s, before serious enforcement of federal desegregation orders went into effect. The study found that in most public schools throughout the country, there’s little contact between white students and students of color. Segregation has grown substantially in the past two decades, especially for Latinos. White students’ contact with nonwhite and poor students has increased significantly because of the dramatic change in overall population. Black and Latino students are strongly concentrated in schools that have far lower quality, according to state Academic Performance Index (API) ratings . Conversely, a far larger share of whites and Asians attend the most highly related schools and thus are the most prepared for college. Current demographic trends make full integration impossible, but they also offer important opportunities to expand integrated options and thus to support lasting community integration. For example, the existing choice and charter systems ignore integration, but with the right policies in place, choice could become an important positive force.

Did you like this example?

305

13