[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 200 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 200

  Recognizing Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez for ending segregation in 
schools in Orange County, California, and for setting the precedent for 
the historic Brown v. Board of Education case, which ended segregation 
                  in schools across the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2003

Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California (for herself, Mr. Becerra, Mr. Reyes, 
 Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Frost, Mr. Case, Mr. Capuano, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez 
of California, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Gonzalez, 
 Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Brown of Ohio, 
  Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Menendez, Mr. 
Ortiz, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Pastor, Ms. Solis, Mr. Kind, Mr. Udall of New 
Mexico, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. Serrano, Mr. 
 Farr, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Hinchey, Ms. Majette, Ms. 
Kaptur, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Sandlin, Mr. Ford, and Mr. Scott of Virginia) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez for ending segregation in 
schools in Orange County, California, and for setting the precedent for 
the historic Brown v. Board of Education case, which ended segregation 
                  in schools across the United States.

Whereas Gonzalo Mendez was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, on January 10, 1913, and 
        immigrated to the United States in 1919;
Whereas Felicitas Mendez was born in Juncos, Puerto Rico, on February 5, 1916;
Whereas Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez moved to Westminster, California, in 1943 
        to tend a farm they were renting from the Munemitsu family, a Japanese 
        family who had been sent to an internment camp during World War II;
Whereas, in 1945, Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez organized a group of parents to 
        end the segregationist educational system in Orange County, California;
Whereas the Mendez family, along with 4 other families, filed a lawsuit against 
        the Westminster, Anaheim, Santa Ana, and El Modena School Districts 
        seeking an injunction ordering the integration of all schools in Orange 
        County;
Whereas the case was entitled Mendez v. Westminster and was decided in favor of 
        the Mendez family and the other plaintiffs on February 18, 1946;
Whereas the American Civil Liberties Union, American Jewish Congress, National 
        Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Lawyer's 
        Guild, and Japanese American Citizens League contributed amicus briefs 
        to the appeal;
Whereas, on April 14, 1947, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of 
        the Mendez family's case;
Whereas the Mendez case was the first case to convince a Federal court that the 
        doctrine of ``separate but equal'' was unconstitutional;
Whereas 8 years after Mendez v. Westminster, Thurgood Marshall argued the Brown 
        v. Board of Education case before the United States Supreme Court, 
        relying in part on the Mendez case as legal precedent;
Whereas because of their bravery and dedication, Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez 
        opened the doors for a better education for children of color throughout 
        the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress recognizes Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez, and those who 
actively supported their efforts, for ending segregation in schools in 
Orange County, California, and for setting the precedent for the 
historic Brown v. Board of Education case, which ended segregation in 
schools across the United States and declared the doctrine of 
``separate but equal'' unconstitutional.
                                 <all>