IV
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.
SA´NCHEZ 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) sub-
mitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Recognizing Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez for ending seg-
regation 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.
•HCON 200 IH
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 West-
minster, 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 or-
dering 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 Jew-
ish Congress, National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People, National Lawyer’s Guild, and Japa-
nese 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;
•HCON 200 IH
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 edu-
cation 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 Coun-
ty, California, and for setting the precedent for the his-
toric Brown v. Board of Education case, which ended seg-
regation in schools across the United States and declared
the doctrine of ‘‘separate but equal’’ unconstitutional.
Æ