[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.
____________________