“Walk the street with us into history. Get off the sidewalk.”
Dolores Huerta
History affected not only the past but also the present and the future. And when our education is limited, so is our knowledge of how history continues to affect us.
At school we do not learn the entire history of the United States. We do not learn the stories of indigenous men and women who had impact in our country. Or the stories of African-American men and women who changed history. Likewise, we do not hear to the stories of Latinos and Latinas, who have left their mark on American history.
In the U.S., we celebrate Hispanic/Latinx heritage month from September 15 to October 15. For me it is an honor to be Latina. That is why I want to take the opportunity to celebrate the lives of other Latina women.
Women who determined to use their lives to shape the history of the United States. Latinas who have not allowed their difficult circumstances to hold them back. In this first post you will read about 2 Latina women who dedicated their lives to fight injustice.
Sylvia Méndez, is a pioneer for civil rights. In 1944, Méndez’s parents, Gonzalo and Felícitas Méndez, sued the Westminster School District. Because their children were not accepted in a public school that was “for whites only.” Four other families joined the lawsuit. They were hoping to end segregation through Orange County in California.
At that time, California, like many states, had segregated schools. As well as movie theaters and even swimming pools. In 1947, the District 9 Court of Appeals, in Méndez vs. The Westminster School District, ordered the end of segregation in California schools.
The Méndez case was later mentioned in the historical case of 1954 Brown vs. The Topeka Board of Education by Thurgood Marshall.
Sylvia Mendez continues the legacy of her story. She says that her parents taught her, “That we are all individuals; that we are all human beings; that we are all connected to each other; and that we all have the same rights, the same freedom.”
For her dedication, in 2011 Sylvia Mendez received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The highest civil honor in the nation.
Today Sylvia travels the country. She talks with students about the history and importance of the Méndez case. She says, that she hopes her story will help inspire students. To continue their education by going to school and beyond.
Dolores Huerta, is the co-founder of the United Farm Workers, (UFW). Dolores is a woman who has been fierce in defending civil rights throughout her life. It was she who invented the war cry, Yes, you can!
Dolores’ mother, Alicia, taught her to be generous and kind to others. She instilled in her the gift of solidarity. Due to her mother’s activism in the community, Dolores learned to be frank.
She says that she became a defender of civil rights because of her. “From her I learned to help others and people with needs without expecting any gratitude.”
Dolores studied Education at the University of Pacific’s Delta Community College. For a time, she was an elementary school teacher. But she decided to resign because in her words, “I could not see the children enter the room hungry and in need of shoes. I thought I could do more in organizing the farmers than trying to teach their hungry children.”
Recognizing the needs of farmers, while working for the CSO, (community service organization), Dolores organized and founded the Agricultural Workers Association in 1960.
Because of her work with the CSO, Dolores met who would become her great ally, César Chávez. Together with him, she co-founded the National Farmworkers Association. It later became United Farm Workers (UFW), to unite the farmers in a union that fights to protect their rights.
Dolores is a labor leader and civil rights activist. She has also advocated for the rights of immigrants and women. Her work lead her to win the Eleanor Roosevelt Prize for Human Rights and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Today, at 89, she still fights for justice through the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
Sylvia Mendez and Dolores Huerta are Latina women who inspire and challenge us to follow their examples. We need to learn their stories. We need to share them. And we need to continue their missions and use our voices like them. ¡Sí se puede! Yes we can!!
“Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.”
Dolores Huerta
How will you use your voice to change the world?
Stay tuned to the next word…
