What awards has Sylvia Mendez won?

On February 15, 2011, Sylvia Mendez was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2012, Brooklyn College awarded Sylvia Mendez an honorary degree.

What are some of Sylvia Mendez accomplishments?

Sylvia Mendez, (born June 7, 1936, Santa Ana, California, U.S.), American civil rights activist and nurse who was at the centre of the court case Mendez v. Westminster, in which a federal court ruled in the mid-1940s that the school segregation of Hispanic children was unconstitutional.

What was Sylvia Mendez awarded in 2010?

President Obama presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sylvia Mendez for her Civil Rights activism and continued impact on education.

How long was Sylvia Mendez a nurse for?

She worked 33 years as a nurse at the Los Angeles USC Medical Center, becoming Assistant Nursing Director of the Pediatric Pavilion. Since Miss Mendez retired, she has traveled to all seven continents and visited over 60 countries.

What did Mendez v. Westminster accomplish?

Thus, the Mendez case ended as the first successful federal school desegregation decision in the nation. This decision shielded only children of Mexican ancestry from public school segregation in California under its current laws.

Sylvia Mendez - 2018 National Hispanic Hero Award

What is Sylvia Mendez most famous for?

Her family's case, Mendez v. Westminster, paved the way in 1947 for the famous Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education which led to desegregation of schools across the country eight years later. Their story demonstrates how a small group of citizens can and have changed the course of history.

Why is the Mendez case important?

In 1947, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in Mendez et al. v. Westminster School District of Orange County, et al. brought an end to school segregation in California and supported later civil rights struggles to end all segregation nationally.

Does Sylvia Mendez have any kids?

She adopted two daughters and has four grandchildren. She spends her retirement traveling abroad. She has visited all 7 continents. Sylvia enjoys spending time with her family and educating others on the Mendez v Westminster case.

What was Sylvia Mendez first job?

After graduating from high school, Sylvia attended Orange Coast Community College and California State University, Los Angeles, earning multiple nursing degrees and a certificate in public health. She started her career as a pediatric nurse, eventually moving to assistant nursing director.

When did Sylvia Mendez become an activist?

When Sylvia was in third grade, she and her siblings were denied admission to the segregated, "white school" near their Orange County home. The Mendez family fought back. Their 1947 victory desegregated public schools in California and became an example for broader decisions, such as the Brown v Board of education.

What happened to Sylvia Mendez in 2011?

About Mendez v. Westminster. Sylvia Mendez, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a 2011 White House ceremony, was a child when she was turned away from a California public school for "whites only." That rejection fueled her father's determined journey through school, civic, and legal channels.

Is Sylvia Mendez hispanic?

In the mid-1940s Mendez's family successfully sued the school district to end the segregation of Hispanic children in the state. Mendez was born on June 7, 1936, in Santa Ana, California. Her father, Gonzalo, was from Mexico, and her mother, Felicitas, was from Puerto Rico.

What is the book about Sylvia Mendez?

Seven years before Brown v. Board of Education, the Mendez family fought to end segregation in California schools. Discover their incredible story in Separate Is Never Equal, a picture book from award-winning creator Duncan Tonatiuh.

What school did Sylvia Mendez sue?

This article is part of Entangled Inequalities: Japanese Incarceration and Mendez, et al. v. Westminster School District of Orange County, et al. In 1944, a public school in California denied entry to Sylvia, Gonzalo Jr, and Jerome Mendez based on their surname and skin color.

What factor or factors led to Sylvia Mendez?

Explanation: Sylvia Mendez was denied her civil rights due to her skin color and Hispanic last name. During the 1940s, schools in California were segregated and Mendez was not allowed to attend a white school because of her Mexican heritage. This led to the landmark case of Mendez v.

How old was Sylvia Mendez when she went to court?

It was a Tuesday morning in the summer of 1945, and Mendez was explaining to a judge how, the previous fall, he had tried to enroll 8-year-old Sylvia and her little brothers in an Orange County public school near their home in Westminster, Ca.

Did Thurgood Marshall represent Sylvia Mendez?

Thurgood Marshall represented Sylvia Mendez and Linda Brown. Marshall used some of the same arguments from Mendez to win Brown v. Board of Education.

What does Sylvia Mendez do now?

Board case seven years later. Since retiring as a pediatric nurse, Sylvia Mendez has made her mark as an activist and public speaker, meeting with political figures and visiting schools to speak on the civil rights that her parents paved the way for decades ago.

Why did Sylvia Mendez get the Medal of Freedom?

Mendez retired after 30 years as a nurse and began traveling the country giving talks about how her family's struggle paved the way for desegregation. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her civil rights work.

What did the Mendez family do?

The Mendez family (Puerto Rican and Mexican American) recruited similarly aggrieved parents from local school districts for a federal court case challenging school segregation.