Written by: FREDERICK P. AGUIRRE In 1948, my father, Alfred V. Aguirre, a World War II veteran, formed Veterans and Citizens of Placentia, a group comprised of Mexican Ameri can World War II veterans. The organization registered more than 300 Placentia citizens to vote. That year, my father and Ted Duran, a member of the group, consulted with G.W. Marshall, a prominent Los Angeles attorney. They asked Marshall if the Mendez case could be used to end segregation of Mexican American children in Placentia’s schools. Marshall counseled that the same legal principles applied; therefore, such a lawsuit would be successful. But Marshall advised that the group should petition the Placentia School Board one more time before filing the lawsuit. Under threat of a law suit, the school officials relented and opened Bradford Elementary School to all students. In 1949, the Mexican school closed because of lack of attendance. I entered kindergarten at Bradford in 1951 and thus escaped being forced to attend the Mexican school. Read the whole article here library.fullcoll.edu/friends/pdfs/Aguirre-MendezvWestminster.pdf
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 21:06:43 +0000
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