Volume 3, No. 2 (Fall 1999) -- Mexican American Heritage Issue

I would like to offer a personal observation from a Latino perspective regarding the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case. This landmark U.S. Supreme Court case found that the “separate but equal” doctrine was in violation of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing all citizens equal protection of the laws. While many people understand the tremendous social significance of this court decision, Brown v. Board of Education is not usually recognized for its impact on the lives of not only black children across this country, but Latino children as well. As one of those Latino children who benefited from Brown, I can comment on the value it had in my life and the lives of many other Latinos across this nation.

Although targeted for African Americans, “separate but equal” was systemically applied to the children of the dominant minority population in areas where there were no Blacks. Like so many other racially discriminatory laws, no boundaries existed that turned off application of these laws to other ethnic minorities. The ultimate beneficiaries of these racist societal edicts included all children of color. In the Southwest where there was no significant concentration of African Americans, Latinos became the target of discriminatory laws.

Latinos growing up during this period say that Plessy-Ferguson gave mainstream America the legal license to openly discriminate against African Americans, and it allowed educational institutions to subscribe to "separate but equal" for other children of color. The education experience and conditions of poverty found in the Southwest were similar to those found in the South. Latinos were subjected to education professionals and educational systems that lacked interest or commitment in insuring that all children, regardless of ethnic background, received equal protection of the laws. In our part of the country, it was Latino children who were being segregated within school districts and herded into separate schools and classrooms. Also, we were the ones whose school supplies, schoolbooks, teachers and learning materials were nothing more than hand me downs or leftovers from other more affluent schools and neighborhoods.

In addition to attitudes cultivated by Plessy-Ferguson, the educational plight of Latinos was compounded by the language barrier. The barrier not only alienated Anglo teachers from the students, but it also reinforced prejudicial attitudes toward Latino children whose first language was Spanish, not English.

Again Brown is not given credit for alternative and creative educational programs that educational systems were mandated to develop. Bilingual education programs are an example of efforts squarely rooted in the principles in Brown. If not for Brown, many Latino children would not have been afforded the right to succeed by being educated in their primary language. It is unfortunate that in 1999 we are facing the possibility of losing all the positive gains made in bilingual education, as right wing supported “English only” initiatives try to turn back the clock.

The implications and ramifications of Brown have blanketed all aspects of U.S. human rights. Brown provided the spark for the U.S. civil rights movement. People of color in this country know that we enjoy our current level of civil rights due to countless African American families, like the Oliver Brown family, whose strength, courage and sacrifice may never truly be recognized.

The Brown v. Board victory has stood as a beacon of light, a source of inspiration to other minority populations in their respective struggles for peace and justice in this society. As we sit on the threshold of a new millennium, it is imperative that we reflect back and pay tribute to landmarks like Brown that paved the way for future generations of African American, Latinos and others. People of color must take to heart the lessons learned from Brown and realize that the enemies that await us in the 21st century are the very same ones who caused us grief throughout the 20th century. Our enemies are racism, prejudice, discrimination, hate, envy, poverty, unemployment and lack of education, not each other.