StoryCorps Historias: Sylvia Mendez and Sandra Mendez Duran
From: StoryCorps
Series: StoryCorps
Length: 02:13
In March 1945, five Latino families filed a lawsuit challenging a school policy in Orange County, California that prevented Mexican American students from attending white schools. The case, now known as Mendez v Westminster, helped set the stage for another landmark case: Brown v. Board of Education.
In this story we’ll hear from two members of the Mendez family--Sylvia Mendez, who was 8 years old when her parents filed the lawsuit on her behalf, and her sister, Sandra, who hadn’t been born at the time of the suit and didn't heard about the case growing up.
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Piece Description
In March 1945, five Latino families filed a lawsuit challenging a school policy in Orange County, California that prevented Mexican American students from attending white schools. The case, now known as Mendez v Westminster, helped set the stage for another landmark case: Brown v. Board of Education.
In this story we’ll hear from two members of the Mendez family--Sylvia Mendez, who was 8 years old when her parents filed the lawsuit on her behalf, and her sister, Sandra, who hadn’t been born at the time of the suit and didn't heard about the case growing up.
Transcript
Sylvia: I remember being in court every day. They would dress us up really nice (giggles) and we'd be there sitting very quietly, not really understanding what was going on. And it wasn't ‘til I was ten years old that I really discovered what they were fighting. And I remember this so vividly. I go to school and the school bell rings and we go out to play and this little white boy comes up and he says, "What are you doing here? You don't belong in this school. They shouldn't have Mexicans here." And I started crying cause I've always been that way (chuckle). So I go home and tell my mother, “I don't want to be in that school.” And she says, "Don't you realize that this is what we fought for? Of course you're going to stay in that school and prove that you're just as good as he is." When did you first learn of the suit?
Sandra: I was in college and I happened to be assigned a...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Today, we'll hear from Sylvia Mendez [Men-Dezz] and her younger sister, Sandra.
65 years ago this month, their family joined four others in a lawsuit
against Orange County, California ...
... because their Mexican American children ...
... were not allowed to attend white schools.
The case -- Mendez versus Westminster ...
... helped set the stage for Brown versus Board of Education.
Sandra Mendez was born AFTER the case was won -- and never heard about it growing up.
But Sylvia was eight when her parents went to court...
Here, she tells her sister about the trial.
OUTRO:
Sandra Mendez Duran with Sylvia Mendez at StoryCorps in Walnut, California.
Their conversation is part of StoryCorps Historias [ee-STORE-ee-uhs] ...
... recording the voices of Latinos.
It will be archived at the Library of Congress.
Sign up for the PODCAST ... at NPR-dot-ORG.
Additional Credits
NPR, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Atlantic Philanthropies
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