Which case in 1947 contributed to California’s desegregation efforts before Brown?

Which case in 1947 contributed to California’s desegregation efforts before Brown?

• A. Méndez v Westminster
• B. Brown v Board of Education
• C. Alvarez v Lemon Grove
• D. Tape v Hurley

Answer: (A)

Early challenges to school segregation in California used the 14th Amendment to argue that separate schools were unequal. Méndez v Westminster, decided in 1947, held that Mexican American students cannot be segregated into different schools in Westminster and nearby districts because such separation violates equal protection. The ruling rejected “separate but equal” as a justification for ethnic-based schooling, showing that segregation itself is inherently unequal and harmful to education. By ordering desegregation in those districts, the decision helped build momentum for broader desegregation and provided a precedent that influenced later cases, including Brown v. Board of Education. Other options refer to cases from different times or contexts (for example, Alvarez v. Lemon Grove in 1931 and Tape v. Hurley in the 19th century), so Méndez v Westminster is the 1947 California desegregation milestone the question targets.

Early challenges to school segregation in California used the 14th Amendment to argue that separate schools were unequal. Méndez v Westminster, decided in 1947, held that Mexican American students cannot be segregated into different schools in Westminster and nearby districts because such separation violates equal protection. The ruling rejected “separate but equal” as a justification for ethnic-based schooling, showing that segregation itself is inherently unequal and harmful to education. By ordering desegregation in those districts, the decision helped build momentum for broader desegregation and provided a precedent that influenced later cases, including Brown v. Board of Education. Other options refer to cases from different times or contexts (for example, Alvarez v. Lemon Grove in 1931 and Tape v. Hurley in the 19th century), so Méndez v Westminster is the 1947 California desegregation milestone the question targets.