Background
In 1954, the United States Supreme Court handed down a landmark
decision. They declared that the earlier finding of Plessy v.
Ferguson in 1896 which founded the doctrine of "separate
but equal" did indeed violate the constitution. However,
eight years earlier another case was made, this one in our own
backyard.
When the 17th Street School in
Westminster refused to admit Gonzalo Mendez' children, it set a
series of events into motion that would change the history of
public education in California.
Your Assignment
For this assignment, you
will investigate the story behind the Mendez vs Westminster
case. Describe the case, and explain its place in history.
How did this case influence Brown v Board of Education? How did
the case influence education here in California? What is the
legacy of the Mendez case?
While you will be explaining what
happened in the Mendez story, this in itself will not give you a
thesis. How did the Mendez case impact education here in
California, and how did it influence later events (such as Brown v
Board of Education)? Look at the impact of the case today. When Mendez
and his colleagues were fighting for equality in education, they
had a vision in mind, a goal. Have we met that goal in education?
Or is there still more we need to be working toward?
The Cerritos Library has developed
a resource page to help you get started.
As you begin, I would encourage
you to look into the background behind the case. What made this
all possible? Also, while you will be evaluating these events
with your 21st Century views, try to take into account the
thinking of the time. This will give you a better perspective as
you analyze the case.
In addition to providing
information on the case itself, you will also analyze the impact
this case had on education in California and its role today.
This will require some critical thinking on your part.
Style and Format Issues
Your essay will need to
be a MINIMUM of FIVE pages in length. You will need to document
your sources following MLA formation, and you must include a
MINIMUM of FIVE sources in your bibliography (otherwise known as
a "List of Works Cited"). I will expect to see evidence that you are using
all five sources to develop your essay (this means that you
should be integrating the source material into your essay and
providing in-text citations).
Remember that you must submit the research
to Turnitin.com prior to emailing to me.
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