- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A message from League of United Latin American Citizens
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
View as web page:
[link removed]
September 28, 2023
Contact: David Cruz - (818) 689-9991 Mobile
[email protected]
LULAC SUPPORTS NAMING THE LOS ANGELES FEDERAL COURTHOUSE FOR FELICITAS AND
GONZALO MENDEZ
==========================================================================
Nation's Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Says Five California
Familias Made History that Opened Education Opportunities for Latinos in America
Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) proudly
expresses our strong support for Congressman Jimmy Gomez's proposed legislation
designating the Los Angeles U.S. Courthouse in honor of Felicitas and Gonzalo
Mendez, celebrating the contributions of the five families that made history.
LULAC filed the lawsuit that led to ending a century of segregation in America's
public schools.
"LULAC wholeheartedly supports the renaming of this courthouse after two of the
people whose courage made the dream of a quality education a reality for
generations of Latinos," says Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President. "LULAC
championed Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez and the five familias all the way to the
9th Circuit Court of Appeals to change the lives of millions of Latino children.
LULAC's action led to a victory seven years before Brown vs. Board of Education
wiped out educational injustice in the United States
The legacy of the Mendez family and the four others was ignited when their
daughter Sylvia and her siblings were cruelly denied admission to a whites-only
school due to their Mexican heritage. Just a year later, LULAC and the Mendez
family's unyielding determination culminated in the landmark verdict propelling
California to become the first state in the nation to officially desegregate its
public schools. The Mendez arguments were the same in Brown vs. Board of
Education, which wiped out school segregation nationally. LULAC started the
battle for education justice.
"California LULAC rises along with a wide coalition of many others to urge the
renaming of the LA Federal Courthouse as the Mendez Federal Courthouse," says
Jacob Sandoval, California LULAC State Director. The Mendez could only dream of
what we are living today; thanks to their efforts, Latino youngsters are in
classrooms in public education across the United States and Puerto Rico, learning
and advancing like all other children in our country. We are indebted to
Felicitas and Gonzalo for standing up and saying, 'We demand justice,' and they
got it!"
Our nation's public institutions should mirror the rich tapestry of diversity
that encapsulates our history and defines our strength. Nevertheless, among the
200+ designated United States courthouses nationwide, only 20 bear the names of
people of color, with merely 6 honoring women. The Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez
United States Courthouse would stand as a beacon of progress, becoming the first
federal edifice to bear the name of a Latina and only the eighth to commemorate
Hispanic Americans. Situated within the county boasting the largest Latino
population in the United States, the renaming of this courthouse pays homage to
the diverse heritage of its inhabitants. It pays tribute to the monumental
strides made in civil rights because of five families LULAC helped to raise their
voices.
Garcia adds, "LULAC urgently calls for expediting the passage of this bill so
that the enduring and historic impact of the Mendez family and the Mendez v.
Westminster case may be permanently etched into the annals of history, inspiring
Angelenos and all Americans for generations to come."
# # #
About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and
oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans
and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000
councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and
advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of
today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org [ [link removed] ] .
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Make sure you receive email from LULAC. Add
[email protected] to your approved senders list.
This email was sent to:
[email protected]
Click here to unsubscribe from email sent by LULAC.
[link removed]
Paid for by LULAC ( [link removed] ) and not
authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Contributions or gifts to LULAC are not tax-deductible.
Design by Plus Three [link removed]
Powered by ARCOS [link removed]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
