[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3383-H3385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         FELICITAS AND GONZALO MENDEZ UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5754) to designate the United States courthouse located at 
350 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, California, as the ``Felicitas and 
Gonzalo Mendez United States Courthouse'', as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5754

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse located at 350 W. 1st Street, 
     Los Angeles, California, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Molinaro) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 5754.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5754, a bill to 
designate the United States courthouse located at 350 W. 1st Street, 
Los Angeles, California, as the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez United 
States Courthouse.
  Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez are remembered for their leadership in 
the 1946 Federal court case Mendez v. Westminster which desegregated 
public schools in California, which established the legal precedent for 
the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case. It is 
fitting that we acknowledge the late couple by naming this courthouse 
in Los Angeles after them.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 5754, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5754, which designates the 
Federal courthouse in Los Angeles, California, as the Felicitas and 
Gonzalo Mendez United States Courthouse.
  The Mendezes were activists whose efforts culminated in the 1946 
Federal court case Mendez v. Westminster School District of Orange 
County. This helped to end segregation in California schools and helped 
pave the way for desegregation efforts nationwide.
  Mrs. Mendez was born in Puerto Rico and moved with her family to 
California at the age of 12. She and her

[[Page H3384]]

family encountered discrimination and racism in California because of 
their Puerto Rican heritage. She married Gonzalo Mendez, a Mexican 
immigrant who had become a naturalized U.S. citizen. They had several 
children and operated a successful agriculture business in southern 
California.
  The Mendezes attempted to enroll their children in a local school but 
were rejected because of their Mexican names and appearance. In 
response, the Mendezes bravely organized and filed a lawsuit against 
the local school district to end the district's practice of segregating 
Mexican schoolchildren.
  After they won the case in 1946 and won a subsequent appeal in 1947, 
the State of California took the further action of enacting a law 
officially desegregating California public schools, making it the first 
State in the country to do so.
  The law was signed by then-Governor Earl Warren. Seven years later, 
Mr. Warren, then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, wrote the opinion 
in Brown v. Board of Education in which the Court ruled that 
segregation of any kind in public schools is unconstitutional.
  If H.R. 5754 is enacted, the Los Angeles Federal courthouse would be 
the first courthouse in the Nation named after a Latina.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation and urge my 
colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California 
(Mrs. Napolitano), who we are going to miss terribly when she retires 
from her role in the leadership on the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
5754 to designate the United States courthouse located at 350 W. 1st 
Street, Los Angeles, California, as the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez 
United States Courthouse.
  I thank Representative   Jimmy Gomez for introducing this important 
legislation. I am proud to support this courthouse renaming bill as it 
recognizes the critical role that Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez served 
in the fight for civil rights in the United States.
  Their resolve to fight for equality in the landmark case Mendez v. 
Westminster, along with four other families from Orange County, 
California, would not only end segregation in California schools but 
also lay the groundwork for Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
  In September of last year, I stood alongside Sylvia Mendez, daughter 
of Felicitas and Gonzalo, as Representative Gomez marked the 
introduction of his bill.

                              {time}  1730

  Sylvia, a dedicated civil rights activist, travels the country to 
ensure the legacies of her parents and the four other families are not 
forgotten.
  I am proud to have worked with my L.A. area colleagues in 2011, 
especially former Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard, in advocating 
for the construction of this much-needed courthouse in downtown Los 
Angeles.
  The Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez U.S. Courthouse will serve as a 
reminder of the contributions of Latino Americans to this country, and 
I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 5754.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, I am prepared to 
close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Gomez), who is the sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Titus for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill to name the Los Angeles 
U.S. Courthouse in my district after two individuals whose courage bent 
the arc of history toward justice, Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez.
  The Mendez family, alongside the Ramirez, Estrada, Guzman, and 
Palomino families, challenged segregationist policies that prevented 
their children from getting the same quality education as their White 
peers, and they won.
  Their efforts resulted in the landmark 1946 case of Mendez v. 
Westminster School District, which led to the desegregation of 
California schools and set the stage for Brown v. Board of Education, 
the monumental Supreme Court decision that stated: separate but equal 
is inherently unequal.
  I introduced this bill alongside Sylvia Mendez, the daughter of 
Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez, who, as a child, set in motion this 
desegregation case.
  Sylvia was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 by 
President Obama and is the subject of this children's book, ``Separate 
is Never Equal,'' which I brought as a reminder of what this means for 
our children.
  This courthouse will be a reminder that history and law are not just 
shaped by judges, they are molded by people who have the courage to 
challenge unjust laws and make our country better.
  The NAACP, ACLU, and Japanese American Citizens League sent amicus 
briefs in this case, showing that our struggles are distinct, but our 
battle to form a more perfect union is one and the same.
  In fact, Thurgood Marshall wrote the NAACP's brief, and just years 
later used similar reasoning before the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board 
of Education.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters from the NAACP, Los 
Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and 21 Latino civil rights organizations and 
advocacy groups in favor of this legislation.

                                                        NAACP,

                                                 November 3, 2023.
     Hon. Mike Johnson,
     Speaker, House of Representatives.
     Hon. Hakeem Jeffries,
     Minority Leader, House of Representatives.
     Hon. Sam Graves,
     Chairman, House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
     Hon. Rick Larsen,
     Ranking Member, House Transportation & Infrastructure 
         Committee.
       Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Chairman Graves, and 
     Ranking Member Larsen: I am writing to express strong support 
     for H.R. 5754, introduced by Congressman Jimmy Gomez, which 
     would name the Los Angeles U.S. Courthouse at 350 W. 1st 
     Street in honor of Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez. Their 
     activism, along with four other families, culminated in the 
     landmark 1946 case Mendez et al v. Westminster et al that led 
     to the end of segregation in California schools and paved the 
     way for Brown v. Board of Education.
       The NAACP's connection to this case and the Mendez, Guzman, 
     Palomino, Estrada, and Ramirez families dates back to 1946. 
     During the original case, the NAACP sent an amicus curiae 
     brief in support of the families and argued that school 
     segregation was inherently unjust and unconstitutional. As 
     Thurgood Marshall, Robert L. Carter, and Loren Miller wrote 
     in that brief:
       ``Our Democracy . . . can only function when all of its 
     citizens, whether of a dominant or of a minority group, are 
     allowed to enjoy the privileges and benefits inherent in our 
     Constitution. Moreover, they must enjoy these benefits 
     together as free people without regard to race or color. It 
     is clear, therefore, that segregation in our public schools 
     must be invalidated as violative of the Constitution and laws 
     of the United States.''
       The NAACP takes pride in our contribution to this historic 
     case, which directly influenced Governor Earl Warren to sign 
     a 1947 law repealing public school segregation statutes in 
     California. Just seven years later, Warren, now Chief Justice 
     of the Supreme Court, authored the unanimous opinion in Brown 
     v. Board of Education. This landmark decision, influenced by 
     Thurgood Marshall's compelling oral arguments as NAACP chief 
     counsel, ended school segregation across the country.
       Nearly 80 years later, we stand by our words and advocacy 
     in the Mendez v. Westminster case and the advocacy of the 
     families who fought for equal protection under the law for 
     all children. Today, we honor their legacy in supporting this 
     bill. We strongly believe the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez 
     United States Courthouse will be an enduring testament to the 
     movement for civil rights for all.
       We urge you to pass this bill swiftly to ensure the lasting 
     and historic impacts of the Mendez v. Westminster case--and 
     the families who fought for equal rights--are permanently and 
     publicly commemorated to inspire all Americans for 
     generations to come.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Derrick Johnson,
     President and CEO.
                                  ____



                                          City of Los Angeles,

                                                December 14, 2023.
     Hon. Mike Johnson,
     Speaker of the House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Hakeem Jeffries,
     Democratic Leader, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Sam Graves,
     Chairman, House Committee on
     Transportation and Infrastructure,
     Washington, DC.

[[Page H3385]]

     Hon. Rick Larsen,
     Ranking Member, House Committee on Transportation and 
         Infrastructure, Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Chairman Graves, and 
     Ranking Member Larsen: I write to express support for H.R. 
     5754, introduced by Representative Jimmy Gomez, which would 
     name the Los Angeles U.S. Courthouse at 350 W. 1st Street in 
     honor of Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez. Their activism, along 
     with four other families, culminated in the landmark 1946 
     case Mendez et al v. Westminster et al that led to the end of 
     segregation in California schools and paved the way for Brown 
     v. Board of Education.
       The powerful story of the Mendez, Guzman, Palomino, 
     Estrada, and Ramirez families, which culminated in a 
     successful suit against discriminatory school segregation 
     practices in California, holds significance for the state of 
     civil rights and freedom in our Los Angeles region today. 
     This historic case directly influenced Governor Earl Warren 
     to sign a 1947 law repealing public school segregation 
     statutes in California. Just seven years later, Warren, by 
     then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, 
     authored the unanimous opinion in Brown v. Board of 
     Education. This landmark decision was influenced by Thurgood 
     Marshall's compelling oral arguments as NAACP chief counsel 
     and ultimately ended school segregation across the country.
       As a longtime public servant deeply committed to the 
     progress of our city, our state, and our country, I 
     understand just how important it is for every student to have 
     equitable access to education and other public resources. 
     Honoring the legacy of the Mendez family would be an enduring 
     testament to the maxim ``separate is never equal'' and the 
     movement for civil rights for all.
       I urge you to pass this bill swiftly to ensure the lasting 
     and historic impacts of the Mendez v. Westminster case--and 
     the families who fought for equal rights--are permanently and 
     publicly commemorated to inspire all Americans for 
     generations to come. Thank you for your attention to this 
     matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Karen Bass,
     Mayor.
                                  ____

                                               September 27, 2023.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Speaker, House of Representatives.
     Hon. Hakeem Jeffries,
     Minority Leader, House of Representatives.
     Hon. Sam Graves,
     Chairman, House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
     Hon. Rick Larsen,
     Ranking Member, House Transportation & Infrastructure 
         Committee.
       Dear Speaker McCarthy, Leader Jeffries, Chairman Graves, 
     and Ranking Member Larsen: We, the below signed Latino civil 
     rights and advocacy organizations, write to express our 
     strong support of Congressman Jimmy Gomez's legislation that 
     would designate the Los Angeles U.S. Courthouse at 350 W. 1st 
     Street in honor of Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez. The Mendez's 
     advocacy led to the landmark 1946 case that ended segregation 
     in California schools and paved the way for the U.S. Supreme 
     Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Fittingly, 
     the courthouse sits just blocks from where the historic 
     Mendez case was originally decided. The Mendez family, 
     including Felicitas and Gonzalo's children, Sylvia, Gonzalo 
     Jr., and Jerome, also strongly support the renaming of the 
     courthouse to the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez United States 
     Courthouse.
       Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez advanced civil rights for all 
     by mobilizing parents in their community to push for an end 
     to segregation in California schools after their daughter 
     Sylvia and her brothers were rejected from attending a 
     whites-only school because of their Mexican appearance and 
     ancestry. In 1946, the Mendez family's efforts led to the 
     landmark decision in Mendez, et al vs. Westminster School 
     District of Orange County, et al, steering California to 
     enact legislation that made it the first state to officially 
     desegregate its public schools. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund 
     (LDF), led by Thurgood Marshall at the time, had been 
     developing a legal strategy to end school segregation and 
     wrote an amicus brief in support of Mendez. Some of the 
     arguments LDF made in Mendez were similar to those that were 
     later made in the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education 
     decision seven years later ending school segregation 
     nationwide.
       Our public institutions should reflect the rich diversity 
     that represents the history and strength of our nation. 
     However, of the 200+ named United States courthouses across 
     the country, only 20 are named for people of color and 6 are 
     named in honor of a woman. The Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez 
     United States Courthouse would be the first federal building 
     to be named for a Latina and only the eighth commemorating 
     Hispanic Americans. Given its location in the county with the 
     largest Latino population in the United States, the 
     commemoration of the advocacy of Felicitas and Gonzalo 
     Mendez--who were of Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage, 
     respectively--by renaming the courthouse honors both the 
     diversity of its population and the critical progress for 
     civil rights.
       During National Hispanic Heritage Month, we highlight and 
     celebrate the centuries of Latino contributions to the United 
     States. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge and lift up 
     Latinos' stories to who we are as a people and nation. The 
     history of the desegregation of schools in California and 
     throughout the Southwest is a significant part of the mostly 
     unsung history of our community in this nation and needs to 
     be better known among our fellow Americans. In short, Latino' 
     stories are American stories, and they need to be told.
       We urge you to pass this bill expeditiously so that the 
     lasting and historic impacts of the Mendez family and the 
     Mendez v. Westminster case are permanently and publicly 
     commemorated to inspire Angelenos and all Americans for 
     generations to come.
           Sincerely,
       Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents 
     (ALAS), Esperanza United (formerly Casa de Esperanza: 
     National Latin@ Network), GreenLatinos, Hispanic Association 
     of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Hispanic Federation, 
     Hispanic National Bar Association, IDRA, Labor Council for 
     Latin American Advancement, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Latinos for 
     Education.
       League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), MANA, A 
     National Latina Organization, Mexican American Legal Defense 
     and Educational Fund (MALDEF), Migrant Legal Action Program, 
     National Hispanic Media Coalition, National Hispanic Medical 
     Association, National Latinx Psychological Association, 
     National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association, SER 
     National, The National HEP/CAMP Association, UnidosUS.
  Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, for all Americans to feel part of our 
American story, they need to see themselves reflected in the buildings 
and monuments that commemorate our history.
  The Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez Courthouse will be the first 
courthouse named after a Latina out of over 200 named Federal 
courthouses.
  I thank the over 60 cosponsors, including Members from both sides of 
the aisle, along with the overwhelming support of the California 
delegation and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the Senate to pass this legislation swiftly to 
send a clear sign about what we stand for as a Nation.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I am 
prepared to close.
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this historic legislation, 
I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I join in supporting this bill 
recognizing the legacy of Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez by naming a 
United States courthouse in Los Angeles after them. This is an historic 
and appropriate recognition, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5754, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________