Westminster and Brown Case
The Fourteenth Amendment was enforced in the U.S. Constitution to protect all citizens of color and status equal rights and protection of the laws. History shows America has not always used this important amendment in its righteous way. The Westminster and Brown case impacted America and the fight to stop discrimination on behalf of minority citizens. The American people manipulated the Fourteenth Amendment to allow equal rights in the form of “separate but equal.” The Westminster case brought attention to segregation in the California school districts toward children of Mexican descent. The Brown case brought attention to the Courts that segregated school facilities are not equal and in fact has a detrimental affect in Negro children. Below I will discuss the two cases and list the four factors.
Westminster was a federal court case that took place in 1947. This case challenged racial segregation in Orange County, California schools. On March 2, 1945 the Mendez with four other Mexican- American families representing 5,000 others filed a class action lawsuit against Westminster, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and El Modena school district. The plaintiffs claimed that their children along with five thousand other children of Mexican descent were victims of unconstitutional discrimination by being forced to attend segregated schools. The case was brought to action after Soledad Vidaurri went to enroll her children and her brother Gonzalo Mendez’s kids to the Westminster Elementary School. The school refused to accept the children informing the parents their kids would have to attend a segregated school. Westminster declined the children’s admission because they were Mexican. The Mexican schools were inferior to non-segregated schools. The Mexican schools were held in shacks or barns, unequal in books, desks, and school supplies. Attorney, David Marcus who was sought and funded by the League of United Lain American Citizens, represented the Mendez family. On July 5, 1945 in the U.S. Federal District Court in Los Angeles, Marcus argued in court for desegregation of California’s schools. Claiming the school districts violated the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. The school districts responded, claiming Mexican students carried contagious diseases, possessed poor moral habits, lacked personal hygiene, and deficient in English speaking skills. Resulting to them being highly unqualified to attend non- segregated schools. The Defendants lawyer argued that education was a state matter and the federal courts had no jurisdiction. Federal Judge Paul J. McCormick ruled in favor of Mendez and co- plaintiffs. Defendants appealed the decision. On April 14, 1947 the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling. Stated under the jurisdiction of the Southern District of California, Central Division. The Court ruled the way it did because segregation of Mexican Americans in public education was a violation of the state law and unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Federal Court held regarding the Fourteenth Amendment that segregation of Mexican American children violated the Fourteenth Amendment because it denied due process and equal protection. …show more content…
The Federal Court ruled regarding the state law that segregation of children of Mexican descent in separate schools is not authorized by California statutes. Education Code, Section 8003, 8004, 16004, 16005, 16601. The acts of the California school district officials were performed under “color of state law.”
The role of social and political influences on the Federal Court decision came from Thurgood Marshall, who wrote the NAACP’s friend of the court brief for the case. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American Jewish Congress, American Civil Liberties Union, and the Japanese American Citizens League were several multiracial organizations that represented as the plaintiff’s counsellor. Without these influences the case would probably not have been as successful.
The impact segregation had on the Federal Court was that is raised questions on whether segregation violates civil rights. In Brown a class action lawsuit was brought by direct appeals to District Courts throughout different states by minor Negro students. Plaintiff’s resided in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware. The Plaintiff’s claimed their rights under the U.S. Constitution were being violated due to being of colored skin. Plaintiff’s brought different cases
The Fourteenth Amendment was enforced in the U.S. Constitution to protect all citizens of color and status equal rights and protection of the laws. History shows America has not always used this important amendment in its righteous way. The Westminster and Brown case impacted America and the fight to stop discrimination on behalf of minority citizens. The American people manipulated the Fourteenth Amendment to allow equal rights in the form of “separate but equal.” The Westminster case brought attention to segregation in the California school districts toward children of Mexican descent. The Brown case brought attention to the Courts that segregated school facilities are not equal and in fact has a detrimental affect in Negro children. Below I will discuss the two cases and list the four factors.
Westminster was a federal court case that took place in 1947. This case challenged racial segregation in Orange County, California schools. On March 2, 1945 the Mendez with four other Mexican- American families representing 5,000 others filed a class action lawsuit against Westminster, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and El Modena school district. The plaintiffs claimed that their children along with five thousand other children of Mexican descent were victims of unconstitutional discrimination by being forced to attend segregated schools. The case was brought to action after Soledad Vidaurri went to enroll her children and her brother Gonzalo Mendez’s kids to the Westminster Elementary School. The school refused to accept the children informing the parents their kids would have to attend a segregated school. Westminster declined the children’s admission because they were Mexican. The Mexican schools were inferior to non-segregated schools. The Mexican schools were held in shacks or barns, unequal in books, desks, and school supplies. Attorney, David Marcus who was sought and funded by the League of United Lain American Citizens, represented the Mendez family. On July 5, 1945 in the U.S. Federal District Court in Los Angeles, Marcus argued in court for desegregation of California’s schools. Claiming the school districts violated the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. The school districts responded, claiming Mexican students carried contagious diseases, possessed poor moral habits, lacked personal hygiene, and deficient in English speaking skills. Resulting to them being highly unqualified to attend non- segregated schools. The Defendants lawyer argued that education was a state matter and the federal courts had no jurisdiction. Federal Judge Paul J. McCormick ruled in favor of Mendez and co- plaintiffs. Defendants appealed the decision. On April 14, 1947 the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling. Stated under the jurisdiction of the Southern District of California, Central Division. The Court ruled the way it did because segregation of Mexican Americans in public education was a violation of the state law and unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Federal Court held regarding the Fourteenth Amendment that segregation of Mexican American children violated the Fourteenth Amendment because it denied due process and equal protection. …show more content…
The Federal Court ruled regarding the state law that segregation of children of Mexican descent in separate schools is not authorized by California statutes. Education Code, Section 8003, 8004, 16004, 16005, 16601. The acts of the California school district officials were performed under “color of state law.”
The role of social and political influences on the Federal Court decision came from Thurgood Marshall, who wrote the NAACP’s friend of the court brief for the case. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American Jewish Congress, American Civil Liberties Union, and the Japanese American Citizens League were several multiracial organizations that represented as the plaintiff’s counsellor. Without these influences the case would probably not have been as successful.
The impact segregation had on the Federal Court was that is raised questions on whether segregation violates civil rights. In Brown a class action lawsuit was brought by direct appeals to District Courts throughout different states by minor Negro students. Plaintiff’s resided in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware. The Plaintiff’s claimed their rights under the U.S. Constitution were being violated due to being of colored skin. Plaintiff’s brought different cases