The case that ended 'Mexican-only' schools

In 1945, five families sued school districts in Orange County to challenge the practice of so-called Mexican schools, which kept Latino students from attending white schools with better resources. The daughter of one of the plaintiffs, Sylvia Mendez, has spent her retirement telling the story of the landmark desegregation case, which was decided 75 years ago on April 14, 1947.

But she goes from school to school talking about the importance of this case at a time when Latino students are, in many ways, more segregated than ever.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times education reporter Paloma Esquivel

More reading:

Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans. It’s about everybody coming together’

Op-Ed: How Mexican immigrants ended ‘separate but equal’ in California

Westminster council takes steps to recognize historic civil rights case