CCSS 53rd Conference Keynote Speaker: Sylvia Mendez

California Council for the Social Studies 

proudly presents 

Sylvia Mendez at the 53rd Annual Conference

In 2011 President Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sylvia Mendez.  As the eight year old daughter of Mexican and Puerto Rican immigrants, Mendez paved the way to desegregating American schools and ushering in an era of civil rights in the famous 1946 case, Mendez v Westminster.

Before the final 1947 victory California schools segregated Mexican Americans from Anglo schools.  The defense claimed that "Mexican American children possessed contagious diseases, had poor moral habits, were inferior in their personal hygiene, spoke only Spanish and lacked English speaking skills." (Mendez v Westminster Case.blogspot.com) The Mendez family filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of 5,000 families insisting that segregation of schools violated the fifth and fourteenth amendments.  

Federal judge, Patrick J. McCormick ruled in favor of the Mendez family finding that the policy of segregating Mexican Americans violated the fourteenth amendment, lack of due process and equal protection.  The Court of Appeals backed up McCormick's ruling in 1947 resulting in a California bill ending segregation in California.  This bill was signed into law by Governor Earl Warren in June of 1947.  Mexican American students began attending integrated public schools in Orange County in September.

Mendez went on to complete her Associate Degree at Orange County Community College, Bachelor's Degree at California State University, Los Angeles, and was recently awarded a Doctorate Degree from the University of New York.  She worked in the nursing profession until she retired

Today Sylvia Mendez speaks around the country and abroad encouraging students to get an education and claim the rights protected for them by her parents in the landmark case.  She will be speaking at the CCSS 53rd Annual Conference in Los Angeles Saturday, March 8th at 5:00 p.m.  Click here to register. 

For additional information about Sylvia Mendez and the Mendez v Westminster case check out these sources.

http://mendezwestminstercase.blogspot.com/2007/08/mendez-v-westminster-case.html

http://sylviamendezinthemendezvswestminster.com/