Mendez vs. Westminster (1947)
Educational Equality
Mendez vs Westminster was a 1947 federal court case ruling that struck down segregation of White and Mexican schools in Orange County, California, paving the way for future desegregation around the country. (source)
- History of the case
- PBS Video, Desegregating California Schools Sylvia Mendez recalls the conditions that triggered the lawsuit and her parents' involvement in the case.
- NPR, Before Brown vs Education Podcast discussing how This California case won access for Mexican Americans to white schools in 1947 and helped set the stage seven years later for Brown v. Board of Education.
- Education Week, Personal Narratives of Desegregation in Schools Personal experiences in fighting for integration and equality in public schools share their stories
- NPR, Latino USA Discusses Mendez’s firsthand experiences of segregated California
- LOC, Experiencing War, Hispanics in Service Multimedia presentations of Latino veteran’s experiences throughout the 20th century, including WWII