Mailbag: ‘We were turned away because we were of Mexican ancestry’

‘We were turned away because we were of Mexican ancestry’

What a great article (“Mendez vs. segregration,” April 17).

As children, my siblings and I had attended one of those segregated schools. Our parents bought a home in Garden Grove in the 1940s. We were moving from Huntington Beach.

Our dad sent my 18-year-old sister, Isabel, and our mother to purchase the house because Dad knew that if they saw him, the house would not be sold to them. Dad was brown-skin Mexican. Mother and Isabel were light-skin Mexican.

Dad also sent Isabel to enroll us younger ones in school. The school was a few blocks away. But we were turned away because we were of Mexican ancestry. And, yes, we were all born in the U.S. And, yes, of course we spoke English (and Spanish). But we had to go to the “Mexican” school. That school was two miles away.

When the Mendez family took the case to court, our parents were asked if Isabel would testify. Our parents said yes.

Later, when we were able to attend our local school, we faced bullying and prejudice — which we survived thanks mainly to our parents, in particular our mother, who gave us lots of love when we came home crying. She taught us self-esteem, dignity, and told us “You can do it!”

We are grateful to Sylvia Mendez and Sandra Robbie for their tireless work to bring this historic case to the public’s attention.

Jeannie Ayala Murphy
Costa Mesa

Story put human face on a subject of national importance

Congratulations on the front page article! My wife, Shirley, and I really enjoyed reading it.

Since we are both educators, had two daughters go through the Westminster School District and have lived in Westminster for 37 years, we were aware of the Mendez case but not on its national impact. The piece also put a human face on this historical event. Outstanding reporting!

John York
Westminster