Sylvia Mendez Rightfully Gets Presidential Medal of Honor, Obama Administration Wrongly Names Mendez, et al v. Westminster, et al Case

By Gustavo Arellano Sat., Nov. 20 2010 at 6:47 PM

Categories: Gunkist Memories

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Congrats goes out to Sylvia Mendez, the daughter of Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez, the parents who joined four other Mexican parents in Orange County to sue the Westminster, Garden Grove, El Modeno (now part of Orange) and SanTana unified school districts for their Mexican-only schools. Earlier this week, President Barack Obama named her as one of his Presidential Medal of Honors for this year.

Too bad he got the name of the landmark case wrong.

Mendez received the honor because, unlike the other families involved in the case, she has lectured about it across the country for a good decade. Her proselytizing is a great thing, but also fraught with historical weight, and the press release shows it: instead of calling the case by its proper name, Mendez, et al v. Westminster, et al, the Obama administration refers to the landmark decision as Mendez v. Westminster, thereby erasing the contributions of the Estrada, Ramirez, Guzman, and Palomino families with one fell swoop.

Just another reason to hate the Obama administration...but for her part, sources tell the Weekly that Mendez has started to refer to the case by its proper name in her many lectures. Good--now, if only Chapman University's proposed archives on the case could do the same...

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Wow, alot of anger in this person, maybe she can show her tired ass documentary again
Gustavo, equally, the Mendez case IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU and your opinion of what is most important in this history. The Mendez case is way bigger than that. Way bigger than you. For you to consider a person defending their life's work as "petty" only reveals the truth of your insensitive, devaluing and oppositional nature. You chose this attack on the Mendez title through me, and to pretend that this is not about me at all is disingenuous. You don't have to mention my name directly. It is implied. Your readers see through it. Some of the braver ones are even beginning to call you out on this. They are telling you you are way off base. I say "brave" because you are in the power position here. You can use your column every week to beat up on any one you want. From your bully pulpit at the Weekly, I am the underdog here. And I have had to deal with folks asking me about the OC Weekly article you wrote attacking me. I don't intend to whine, I intend to explain my perspective, and the article you wrote does still hurt a bit. I'm sure you interpret my words as whining because you are a bully. You think folks should just take your punches and be fine with it. These are the hallmarks of an abusive relationship. I don't mean for my words to come around to you from behind you. I would say them directly to you if we ever came across each other. And if you are speaking of the Bernal family story - I have cautioned them on you. You are not a fair or formally-trained journalist, much less an ally in telling Orange County's Latino history. You are all about You. As a reporter for an alternative magazine, it is your job to stir the pot and create controversy instead of make peace. I told the Bernal family to be sure to keep clear on who you are and what you really stand for so they will not also be hurt, ambushed or misled by you. But that is their journey. An maybe my cautionary words coming back to you may positively change the way you treat them. Good. And I will caution anyone who encounters you in the same way...just as so many journalists and members of our community warned me about you. But foolishly, I gave you the benefit of the doubt. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Big mistake this time! And Gustavo, I am not mad at you. I see you as an angry young man trying to make a living and a name, aiming to be on the top, and swinging fists at anyone along the way that will help to add to your "win numbers" in the ring. I am just getting clearer and clearer on who you are every day. And I'm pretty sure I've reached my fill on this topic and you for now. Lots of good work ahead. I'm focusing on that. Take care and Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I give special thanks for the challenges and life lessons learned this year. Amen.
Sandra: Classy as always�where on Earth is your name mentioned in this piece for you to defend your presentation of Mendez, et al? To quote Rick Warren: IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. Get over yourself already�it's so disheartening. By the way? Every time you bad-mouth me, whine and cry that I tried to attack you, it gets back to me, shared by people shocked that you are so petty.
Gustavo has conceived a negative campaign based on half-truths and hypocrisy on his own part. The Ramirez family and I spoke after the original article Gustavo wrote about their feeling of being left out of the Mendez v. Westminster story. Together, Phyllis Ramirez and I counted 14 errors throughout Gustavo's story on both the Ramirez family side, my side, and the Mendez case history in general. Additionally, Gustavo falsely accused me of ignoring and disrespecting the co-plaintiffs in the Mendez case. As proof he offers the evidence that I rarely refer to the Mendez case as "Mendez et al v. Westminster et al." In that same article, Gustavo referred to the case as "Mendez et al v. Westminster et al" exactly 1 time: at the beginning of the story. For the next eight pages, at least 18 times, Gustavo referred to the case as "Mendez" or "Mendez v. Westminster." Sounds like the pot calling the kettle, "not brown-enough." Gustavo appears to be holding me, the White House and everyone else to a higher standard than he applies to himself and the Weekly. And it is a false standard that is not practiced in the legal, journalistic or scholarly fields. I have spoken with judges, lawyers, law students, journalists and scholars...all of whom state that within the legal profession, in scholarly journals and in the journalism field, it is correct, appropriate and respectful to refer to a class action suit by: Lead Plaintiff v. Lead Defendant. Referring to Mendez v. Westminster as "Mendez et al v. Westminster et al is like using genus species in everyday language or referring to people by first, middle and last name every time. If Gustavo wants to change the national, generational and professional protocol for how class action cases are referenced - Go, Gustavo. Please take it up with the American Bar Association. Contact our Supreme Court Justices. Ring up every law school in the country. My efforts are more focused on studying and celebrating the history and contributions of all the Mendez plaintiffs and all the communities who were involved in the case. My goal is that, within four years, when America says, "Brown v. Board of Education," they will also say, "Mendez v. Westminster." And when America says, "Mendez v. Westminster," they will also say: "Ramirez, Guzman, Palomino, Estrada, Marcus, Munemitsu, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Orange, Orange County, California, Thurgood Marshall, Earl Warren, WWII, Japanese Internment, NAACP...and so much more. My goal is for all of America's students to really understand, through Mendez, that we are all connected in the American civil rights struggle every day. Mendez is a story with many key players and we are just beginning to tell this story. From the very first, I envisioned the history of Mexican segregation would become a genre, much like the stories of the Holocaust and WWII. It is all beginning to happen. When we mention the Holocaust, how many names come to mind now? That is how it will be with Mendez. And I do respect the Ramirez family and their contributions to the Mendez case. Speaking of which, I was there at the Orange Unified School Board District meeting to speak out in support of the possible renaming of an Orange School in honor of co-plaintiff Lorenzo Ramirez. I didn't see Gustavo Arellano anywhere. And for the record - for Gustavo Arellano to claim any influence in the presentations given by Sylvia Mendez or me in referencing the Ramirez, Guzman, Palomino, and Estrada families in the battle against the school districts in Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and El Modena (now Orange) on behalf of 5,000 segregated children...that is pure distortion on Gustavo's part. Gustavo flatters himself. In every presentation since my documentary came out in 2002, "Mendez et al" has been shared with every audience I have ever met, alone or with Sylvia. Every audience. Period. Finally, the White House is right in every way to honor Sylvia Mendez with the Medal of Freedom for her work in promoting the history of Mendez v.Westminster. I stand to salute Sylvia Mendez for all her tireless work in helping to shine the light on this important history and all the families and communities, across colors, of the Mendez case. President Obama is a Harvard educated lawyer with an expertly trained staff that is sensitive to protocol in citing titles, names,etc., specifically relating to American history. The White House announcement is correct, respectful and entirely within the strictly prescribed standards of protocol. Gustavo Arellano is clearly invested in building his reputation by tearing apart the community he claims to respect so much. I know it's like asking the wind not to blow, and it's just not in the nature of the OC Weekly, but I'm hoping Gustavo Arellano and the OC Weekly can find a positive way to help promote all the stories of Mendez v. Westminster so that we can all really celebrate.
Nice shot at Sandra Robbie
mexican only schools gustavo im lost here ive been living in santa ana all my life and i havent heard of a mexican only schools what are you guys talking about
Wading through all the quibbling, a hearty congratulations to Sylvia. I have seen firsthand, her generosity and dedication to educating our students (and others) about the inequities her family and others overcame. As a SAUSD teacher, thank you to Sylvia for all you do for our students!
Interesting, a lawsuit against �Mexican Only Schools� How things change over time. Now there are some people who would mandate �Mexican Only�: City Council, or 4th street business districts, housing neighborhoods etc.
MM: Sarcasm, amigo: SARCASM!
<blockquote>Just another reason to hate the Obama administration.</blockquote> I don't know about you, Gustavo, but you appear to be taking this rather personally...
Mendez et al, is five families. It's not like Brown v Board of Education which had some 200 plaintiffs. In checking out the press release, George H.W. Bush? Warren Buffet? Ugh'bama! The rest of the list rounds out nicely, I guess.
Oh please. The legal citation is the name of the case. She can give back the medal if she's that offended.
Lenny: A "minute detail"? Ask the other families how they feel, not me.
I can understand how this might bother you, but short name of the case is Mendez v. Westminister. When you are referring to a case, you generally don't refer to it by it's full name (Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, etc.), so the "et al" being absent really shouldn't diminish the contributions of the other plaintiffs, that's just the way case names get shortened. I mean if you really want to pick nits, doesn't the "et al" diminish the actual names of the other plaintiffs? Shouldn't everyone call the case Mendez, Estrada, Ramirez, Guzman and Palomino v. Westminister. You can't just make exceptions for cases that are important to you. I don't get why you would undermine the fact that the President is recognizing this landmark case when no other President has even mentioned it, by going after such a minute detail.