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Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation
Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites only� school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2014
502 people are currently reading
3,838 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Tonatiuh
24books243followersI was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I received my BFA from Parsons School of Design and my BA from Eugene Lang College, both of them divisions of the New School University in New York City.
My first picture book "Dear Primo, a letter to my cousin" is published by H N Abrams and will be in stores March 1st, 2010.
My illustrations of the AH1N1 in Mexico were selected to be a part of CONACULTA's catalog of Mexican illustrators for children and young adults. They also appeared in the BBC when the pandemic broke out.
My short graphic novel Journey of a Mixteco was awarded the prize for the best thesis in the Integrated Design Curriculum department at Parsons. It appeared serially in the webcomix site topshelfcomix 2.0
I'm currently working on two new picture books. And I regularly upload new illustrations about current events to my blog.
My first picture book "Dear Primo, a letter to my cousin" is published by H N Abrams and will be in stores March 1st, 2010.
My illustrations of the AH1N1 in Mexico were selected to be a part of CONACULTA's catalog of Mexican illustrators for children and young adults. They also appeared in the BBC when the pandemic broke out.
My short graphic novel Journey of a Mixteco was awarded the prize for the best thesis in the Integrated Design Curriculum department at Parsons. It appeared serially in the webcomix site topshelfcomix 2.0
I'm currently working on two new picture books. And I regularly upload new illustrations about current events to my blog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,594 reviews
July 15, 2014
If I blame my childhood education for anything I suppose it would be for instilling in me the belief that the history worth learning consisted of a set of universally understood facts. One event would be more worthy of coverage than another. One person better positioned for a biography than another. It was only in adulthood that I started to understand that the history we know is more a set of decisions made decades and decades ago by educators than anything else. Why were weeks and weeks of my childhood spent learning about The American Revolution but only a day on the Vietnam War? Why did we all read biographies of Thomas Edison but never about Nicolas Tesla? And why did it take me 36 years before someone mentioned the name of Sylvia Mendez to me? Here we have a girl with a story practically tailor made for a work of children’s nonfiction. Her tale has everything. Villains and heroes (her own heroic parents, no less). Huge historical significance (there’d be no Brown v. Board of Education without Sylvia). And it stars Latino-Americans. With the possible exception of Cesar Chavez, my education was pretty much lacking in any and all experience with Latino heroes in America. I'm therefore pleased as punch that we've something quite as amazing as Separate is Never Equal to fill in not just my gaps but the gaps of kids all over our nation.
Sylvia is going home in tears. Faced with teasing at her new school she tells her mother she doesn’t want to go back. Gently, her mother reminds her that teasing or no, this is exactly what the family fought so hard for for three long years. In 1944 the Mendez family had moved to Westminster, California. When the first day of school approached their Aunt drove five of the kids to the nearby public school. Yet when they arrived she was told that her children, with their light skin and brown hair could attend but that Sylvia and her brothers would have to go to “the Mexican school�. Faced with hugely inferior conditions, the Mendez family decides to fight back. They are inspired by a lawsuit to integrate the public pools and so they hire the same lawyer to take on their case. In court they hear firsthand the prejudices that the superintendent of their district holds dear, but ultimately they win. When that decision is appealed they take it to the state court, and win once more. Remembering all this, Sylvia returns to school where, in time, she makes friends from a variety of different backgrounds. Backmatter consists of an extensive Author’s Note, a Glossary, a Bibliography, additional information About the Text, and an Index.
When I say that Sylvia’s story adapts perfectly to the nonfiction picture book form, I don’t want to downplay what Tonatiuh has done here. To tell Sylvia’s story accurately he didn’t have a single source to draw upon. Instead the book uses multiple sources, from court transcripts and films to books, websites, articles, and reports. Culling from all of this and then transferring it into something appropriate and interesting (that is key) for young readers is a worthy challenge. That Tonatiuh pulls it off is great, but I wonder if he could have done it if he hadn’t interviewed Sylvia Mendez herself in October 2012 and April 2013. Those who know me know that I’m a stickler for non-invented dialogue in my children’s works of nonfiction. If you can’t tell a real story without making up dialogue from real people then your book isn’t worth a lick. At first, it appears that Tonatiuh falls into the same trap, with Sylvia wondering some things and her family members saying other. Look at the backmatter, however, and you’ll see a note “About the Text�. It says that while the trial dialogue comes from court transcripts, the rest of the book came from conversations with Sylvia herself. So if she says her parents said one thing or she thought/pondered another, who are we to doubt her? Well played then.
Librarians like myself spend so much time gushing over content and format that often we forget one essential element of any book: child-friendliness. It’s all well and good to put great information on picture book sized pages, but will any kid willingly read what you have? In this light, framing this book as a flashback was a clever move. Right from the start Tonatiuh places his story within the context of a child’s experience with mean kids. It’s a position a great many children can identify with, so immediately he’s established sympathy for the main character. She’s just like kids today . . . except a hero. At the end of the book we have photographs of the real participants, both then and now. As for the text itself, it’s very readable, keeping to the facts but, aided by the design and the art, eclectic enough to maintain interest.
When we talk about Tonatiuh’s art it’s important to understand why he’s chosen the style that he has. In interviews the artist has discussed how his art is heavily influenced by ancient Mexican styles. As he said in an interview on the blog Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, “My artwork is very much inspired by Pre-Columbian art, especially by Mixtec codices from the 14th century. That is why my art is very geometric, my characters are always in profile, and their ears look a bit like the number three. My intention is to celebrate that ancient art and keep it alive.� Heads of participants are always shown from the side. This is combined with the decision to digitally insert real hair, of a variety of shades and hues and colors, onto the heads of the characters. The end result looks like nothing else out there. There are mild problems with it, since the neutral expression of the faces can resemble dislike or distaste. This comes up when Sylvia’s cousins are accepted into the nearest public school and she is not. Their faces are neutral but read the wrong way you might think they were coolly unimpressed with their darker skinned cousin. Still, once you’ve grown used to the style it’s hardly an impediment to enjoying the story.
I think it’s important to stress for our children that when we talk about “integration�, we’re not just talking about African-American kids in the 1950s and 60s. Segregation includes Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, and more. At one point in this book the Mendez family receives support from the NAACP, the Japanese American Citizens League, and the American Jewish Congress amongst others. Sylvia’s mother says, “When you fight for justice, others will follow�. For children to understand that freedom is never a done deal and that increased rights today means increased rights in the future is important. Books like Separate is Never Equal help drill the point home. There is absolutely nothing like this book on our shelves today. Pick it up when you want to hand a kid a book about Latino-American history that doesn’t involve Chavez for once. Required reading.
For ages 7-12.
Sylvia is going home in tears. Faced with teasing at her new school she tells her mother she doesn’t want to go back. Gently, her mother reminds her that teasing or no, this is exactly what the family fought so hard for for three long years. In 1944 the Mendez family had moved to Westminster, California. When the first day of school approached their Aunt drove five of the kids to the nearby public school. Yet when they arrived she was told that her children, with their light skin and brown hair could attend but that Sylvia and her brothers would have to go to “the Mexican school�. Faced with hugely inferior conditions, the Mendez family decides to fight back. They are inspired by a lawsuit to integrate the public pools and so they hire the same lawyer to take on their case. In court they hear firsthand the prejudices that the superintendent of their district holds dear, but ultimately they win. When that decision is appealed they take it to the state court, and win once more. Remembering all this, Sylvia returns to school where, in time, she makes friends from a variety of different backgrounds. Backmatter consists of an extensive Author’s Note, a Glossary, a Bibliography, additional information About the Text, and an Index.
When I say that Sylvia’s story adapts perfectly to the nonfiction picture book form, I don’t want to downplay what Tonatiuh has done here. To tell Sylvia’s story accurately he didn’t have a single source to draw upon. Instead the book uses multiple sources, from court transcripts and films to books, websites, articles, and reports. Culling from all of this and then transferring it into something appropriate and interesting (that is key) for young readers is a worthy challenge. That Tonatiuh pulls it off is great, but I wonder if he could have done it if he hadn’t interviewed Sylvia Mendez herself in October 2012 and April 2013. Those who know me know that I’m a stickler for non-invented dialogue in my children’s works of nonfiction. If you can’t tell a real story without making up dialogue from real people then your book isn’t worth a lick. At first, it appears that Tonatiuh falls into the same trap, with Sylvia wondering some things and her family members saying other. Look at the backmatter, however, and you’ll see a note “About the Text�. It says that while the trial dialogue comes from court transcripts, the rest of the book came from conversations with Sylvia herself. So if she says her parents said one thing or she thought/pondered another, who are we to doubt her? Well played then.
Librarians like myself spend so much time gushing over content and format that often we forget one essential element of any book: child-friendliness. It’s all well and good to put great information on picture book sized pages, but will any kid willingly read what you have? In this light, framing this book as a flashback was a clever move. Right from the start Tonatiuh places his story within the context of a child’s experience with mean kids. It’s a position a great many children can identify with, so immediately he’s established sympathy for the main character. She’s just like kids today . . . except a hero. At the end of the book we have photographs of the real participants, both then and now. As for the text itself, it’s very readable, keeping to the facts but, aided by the design and the art, eclectic enough to maintain interest.
When we talk about Tonatiuh’s art it’s important to understand why he’s chosen the style that he has. In interviews the artist has discussed how his art is heavily influenced by ancient Mexican styles. As he said in an interview on the blog Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, “My artwork is very much inspired by Pre-Columbian art, especially by Mixtec codices from the 14th century. That is why my art is very geometric, my characters are always in profile, and their ears look a bit like the number three. My intention is to celebrate that ancient art and keep it alive.� Heads of participants are always shown from the side. This is combined with the decision to digitally insert real hair, of a variety of shades and hues and colors, onto the heads of the characters. The end result looks like nothing else out there. There are mild problems with it, since the neutral expression of the faces can resemble dislike or distaste. This comes up when Sylvia’s cousins are accepted into the nearest public school and she is not. Their faces are neutral but read the wrong way you might think they were coolly unimpressed with their darker skinned cousin. Still, once you’ve grown used to the style it’s hardly an impediment to enjoying the story.
I think it’s important to stress for our children that when we talk about “integration�, we’re not just talking about African-American kids in the 1950s and 60s. Segregation includes Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, and more. At one point in this book the Mendez family receives support from the NAACP, the Japanese American Citizens League, and the American Jewish Congress amongst others. Sylvia’s mother says, “When you fight for justice, others will follow�. For children to understand that freedom is never a done deal and that increased rights today means increased rights in the future is important. Books like Separate is Never Equal help drill the point home. There is absolutely nothing like this book on our shelves today. Pick it up when you want to hand a kid a book about Latino-American history that doesn’t involve Chavez for once. Required reading.
For ages 7-12.
October 24, 2015
Here I thought I knew a great deal about the Civil Rights Movement in this country. I guess I was wrong. I don't have a problem with being wrong, for this was a gem of a book that needed to be read and should be added to any lesson about segregation in the U.S.
This is the story of Sylvia Mendez. Daughter of a migrant worker in California. Sylvia's dad, Gonzalo, was a U.S. citizen of Mexican descent and her mother, Felícitas, was Puerto Rican. When they moved to their own farm, their parents sent them to the nearest school to register. But the staff stated that they needed to go to the "Mexican" school, which was miles away from their home. Her father hired a lawyer and along with other families that witnessed the same injustice, filed a suit against Westminster School District.
The same nasty comments that were stated about other races, were stated by the Westminster superintendent about the Mexican children. Mr. Kent, the superintendent, was asked what reasons he sent the children to the Mexican school, Hoover Elementary. His statements were degrading. The need to learn cleanliness of mind, manner, and dress. They are not learning at home. They have problems with lice, impetigo, and tuberculosis. They have generally dirty hands, face, neck and ears. When asked how many of the 292 Mexican school children were inferior to Whites in hygiene, the superintendent stated "75 percent". (p. 26-27) The Mendez family received letters of support from organizations such as the National Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), League of United Latin American Citizens, Japanese American Citizens League, and the American Jewish Congress among others. The last three organizations I can honestly say, I have never heard before. I will be checking them out shortly.
The statement by the two education specialists at the trial still holds true today. It is one of the reasons why, as part of collection development, I make an effort to diversify the library collection. Segregation tends to give an aura of inferiority. In order to have the people of the United States understand one another it is necessary for them to live together, and the public school is one mechanism where all the children of all the people go. (p.29) They also state that ...the segregation of children creates feelings of superiority in one group and inferiority in another. We need to be able to interact and mingle so that prejudices break down, so that we can learn from one another, and so that everyone has a fair shot at success. I couldn't agree more! Whitewashing a library collection doesn't allow for that exchange of learning and growth. Even in a predominant African American community, there needs to be a diverse cultural representation of other races, so that those in the community DO NOT fall for the single story of one race.
Great to add as a supplemental to a lesson on Civil Rights in the U.S, and also segregation. Most people know about Brown vs. Board of Education, but not the Mendez family and their contribution to the fight for desegregation.
The author's note in the end speaks on the case a bit more. A detailed bibliography is given for anyone that desires more information on the family and their case. There is also a glossary that defines the basic legal terms used throughout the book. This book would pair well with . If there is a book about an Asian American family and their fight for justice in education, I would be happy to receive that information so please, let me know.
This is the story of Sylvia Mendez. Daughter of a migrant worker in California. Sylvia's dad, Gonzalo, was a U.S. citizen of Mexican descent and her mother, Felícitas, was Puerto Rican. When they moved to their own farm, their parents sent them to the nearest school to register. But the staff stated that they needed to go to the "Mexican" school, which was miles away from their home. Her father hired a lawyer and along with other families that witnessed the same injustice, filed a suit against Westminster School District.
The same nasty comments that were stated about other races, were stated by the Westminster superintendent about the Mexican children. Mr. Kent, the superintendent, was asked what reasons he sent the children to the Mexican school, Hoover Elementary. His statements were degrading. The need to learn cleanliness of mind, manner, and dress. They are not learning at home. They have problems with lice, impetigo, and tuberculosis. They have generally dirty hands, face, neck and ears. When asked how many of the 292 Mexican school children were inferior to Whites in hygiene, the superintendent stated "75 percent". (p. 26-27) The Mendez family received letters of support from organizations such as the National Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), League of United Latin American Citizens, Japanese American Citizens League, and the American Jewish Congress among others. The last three organizations I can honestly say, I have never heard before. I will be checking them out shortly.
The statement by the two education specialists at the trial still holds true today. It is one of the reasons why, as part of collection development, I make an effort to diversify the library collection. Segregation tends to give an aura of inferiority. In order to have the people of the United States understand one another it is necessary for them to live together, and the public school is one mechanism where all the children of all the people go. (p.29) They also state that ...the segregation of children creates feelings of superiority in one group and inferiority in another. We need to be able to interact and mingle so that prejudices break down, so that we can learn from one another, and so that everyone has a fair shot at success. I couldn't agree more! Whitewashing a library collection doesn't allow for that exchange of learning and growth. Even in a predominant African American community, there needs to be a diverse cultural representation of other races, so that those in the community DO NOT fall for the single story of one race.
Great to add as a supplemental to a lesson on Civil Rights in the U.S, and also segregation. Most people know about Brown vs. Board of Education, but not the Mendez family and their contribution to the fight for desegregation.
The author's note in the end speaks on the case a bit more. A detailed bibliography is given for anyone that desires more information on the family and their case. There is also a glossary that defines the basic legal terms used throughout the book. This book would pair well with . If there is a book about an Asian American family and their fight for justice in education, I would be happy to receive that information so please, let me know.
February 7, 2017
"Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites only� school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California."
This book is made for upper elementary school or middle school. It has a lot of information that is harder for younger children to comprehend.
This book is made for upper elementary school or middle school. It has a lot of information that is harder for younger children to comprehend.
September 8, 2020
This was both fascinating and sobering to read. Public school education leaves a lot to be desired, even now. So to learn about one family's (and the Latinx community's) fight to desegregate schools YEARS before Brown vs Board of Education makes me proud, yet more determined to call out discrimination and systemic racism.
The author's note with the pictures of Sylvia and the schools is very unforgettable. I am glad kids and young adults now have media that shows forgotten/whitewashed moments in history! As this book reminds us, the civil rights movement was very recent and is FAR from over. And sadly segregation is still occurring, in more insidious ways.
The author's note with the pictures of Sylvia and the schools is very unforgettable. I am glad kids and young adults now have media that shows forgotten/whitewashed moments in history! As this book reminds us, the civil rights movement was very recent and is FAR from over. And sadly segregation is still occurring, in more insidious ways.
December 19, 2020
Outstanding Book
What a wonderful story. A true story as well!
It tells about the pains and struggles of the Mendez family and the cruelty of their small town in California.
Another strength is that it is viewed the the eyes of the children.
Overall, a great story that all should read. I recommend.
What a wonderful story. A true story as well!
It tells about the pains and struggles of the Mendez family and the cruelty of their small town in California.
Another strength is that it is viewed the the eyes of the children.
Overall, a great story that all should read. I recommend.
August 31, 2024
After reading “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation� by Duncan Tonatiuh, I can see why this picture book has won so many awards.
Long before Brown vs The Board of Education, in the 1940s the Mendez family fought to desegregate public schools in California. And the author is correct, many people really don’t know about this important part of American social and legal history.
The author’s inclusion of a sign in the book—“No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed”—really impacted me. When I lived on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the 1990s, a similar sign existed: “No Indians or Dogs Allowed.� It’s heartbreaking that people can be so cruel.
This is an important book, in more ways than one. Not only does this book bring to light an important part of American history, but it also shows how various other groups united to support the victims of this discrimination, such as African Americans (NAACP), Japanese American Citizens League, and the American Jewish Congress.
Although the illustrator’s name isn’t included, I can only presume that Tonatiuh is also responsible for it. He did a beautiful job. The artwork reminds me in many ways of Pre-Columbian art found in Mexico and Central America.
This beautifully illustrated picture book is absolutely wonderful, and I hope that people will purchase this important book for the younger generation.
Long before Brown vs The Board of Education, in the 1940s the Mendez family fought to desegregate public schools in California. And the author is correct, many people really don’t know about this important part of American social and legal history.
The author’s inclusion of a sign in the book—“No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed”—really impacted me. When I lived on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the 1990s, a similar sign existed: “No Indians or Dogs Allowed.� It’s heartbreaking that people can be so cruel.
This is an important book, in more ways than one. Not only does this book bring to light an important part of American history, but it also shows how various other groups united to support the victims of this discrimination, such as African Americans (NAACP), Japanese American Citizens League, and the American Jewish Congress.
Although the illustrator’s name isn’t included, I can only presume that Tonatiuh is also responsible for it. He did a beautiful job. The artwork reminds me in many ways of Pre-Columbian art found in Mexico and Central America.
This beautifully illustrated picture book is absolutely wonderful, and I hope that people will purchase this important book for the younger generation.
April 19, 2021
When Sylvia Mendez and her family moved from Santa Ana, California to nearby Westminster in 1944, they discovered that the local educational authorities would not allow Sylvia and her brothers to attend the town's well-funded school, instead insisting that they go to the far inferior "Mexican School." After failing to convince the authorities that his children should attend the public school near where they lived, Sylvia's father, Gonzalo Mendez, began to organize a petition against segregation in the schools of Orange County. Eventually he enlisted the help of lawyer David Marcus, and the Mendez vs. Westminster case began. In 1947, seven years before Brown vs. the Board of Education struck down segregated schooling nationally, the California courts decided, in response to the Mendez case, to outlaw segregation in their state's schools...
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation provides an important addition to the body of works devoted to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, highlighting a legal case that provided the basis for the better known Brown vs. the Board of Education. I was not familiar with this story, and am very glad indeed to have that gap in my knowledge corrected. The story of Sylvia and her family is an inspiring one, and it highlights, not just the idea that standing up for justice can bring people of disparate backgrounds together - something emphasized in the story, through Sylvia's mother and her wise words - but also that every advance in freedom and equality is built upon the work of earlier people. It is unfortunate, but I think many, both children and adults, have an atomized view of history, often seeing certain developments in isolation, rather than as part of a rich tapestry of events. Author/illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh's book works to correct this myopic view, and it tells a story important in its own right as well - a story about standing up to racism and segregation. I appreciated both the story, which I found educational and moving, in equal measure; and the illustrations, done by Tonatiuh in his signature folk-art style, which owes so much to pre-Columbian Mesoamerican aesthetic traditions. The back matter, which includes an author's note, photographs of Sylvia Mendez and her family, a glossary, bibliography and index, provides additional information. Recommended to readers looking for children's books about the struggle to desegregate American schools. It could be paired very nicely with titles like , about one of the African-American children who desegregated the New Orleans schools in 1960.
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation provides an important addition to the body of works devoted to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, highlighting a legal case that provided the basis for the better known Brown vs. the Board of Education. I was not familiar with this story, and am very glad indeed to have that gap in my knowledge corrected. The story of Sylvia and her family is an inspiring one, and it highlights, not just the idea that standing up for justice can bring people of disparate backgrounds together - something emphasized in the story, through Sylvia's mother and her wise words - but also that every advance in freedom and equality is built upon the work of earlier people. It is unfortunate, but I think many, both children and adults, have an atomized view of history, often seeing certain developments in isolation, rather than as part of a rich tapestry of events. Author/illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh's book works to correct this myopic view, and it tells a story important in its own right as well - a story about standing up to racism and segregation. I appreciated both the story, which I found educational and moving, in equal measure; and the illustrations, done by Tonatiuh in his signature folk-art style, which owes so much to pre-Columbian Mesoamerican aesthetic traditions. The back matter, which includes an author's note, photographs of Sylvia Mendez and her family, a glossary, bibliography and index, provides additional information. Recommended to readers looking for children's books about the struggle to desegregate American schools. It could be paired very nicely with titles like , about one of the African-American children who desegregated the New Orleans schools in 1960.
July 27, 2021
Great history lesson!
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and her Family's Fight for Desegregation
By Duncan Tonatiuh
This is a great way to tell a history lesson! With great artwork and the story focusing around the feelings of the girl. Great job!
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and her Family's Fight for Desegregation
By Duncan Tonatiuh
This is a great way to tell a history lesson! With great artwork and the story focusing around the feelings of the girl. Great job!
April 30, 2014
Explore an early battle for desegregation of the California public schools in this picture book. In a court battle that took place seven years before Brown v. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her family fought the system. Having been placed in a Mexican school rather than a “whites only� one due to her Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, Sylvia and her family realized that she was being given a second-class education because the facilities and teachers were much better in the white school. After appealing the school placement, the full extent of the racism of the system was revealed as the school proceeded to inform Sylvia who spoke perfect English that the other school would help her learn English better. Sylvia’s parents took the battle to court and also organized the Hispanic community to find other students who were being clearly discriminated against. This is a book where people took on a fight for what was right and managed to get things changed.
Tonatiuh emphasizes the small and poor vs. large government and wealth throughout this book. He makes sure that young readers understand the extent of the racism against Hispanics and the reality of the policies that they were living under. The issue is complex, but he keeps it clear and concise, offering a solid view of the courage that it took for the Mendez family to fight the system and also making it clear why they were able to fight back when others could not.
Tonatiuh’s stylized illustrations pay homage as always to folk art. His characters have glossy hair in different colors that are cut-outs of photographs. The same is true of the fabric of clothes and other objects. This is paired with a flat paint and clear black outlines making a combination that is modern and ageless.
An important addition to the civil rights history of the United States, this nonfiction picture book tells a story of courage and determination. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Tonatiuh emphasizes the small and poor vs. large government and wealth throughout this book. He makes sure that young readers understand the extent of the racism against Hispanics and the reality of the policies that they were living under. The issue is complex, but he keeps it clear and concise, offering a solid view of the courage that it took for the Mendez family to fight the system and also making it clear why they were able to fight back when others could not.
Tonatiuh’s stylized illustrations pay homage as always to folk art. His characters have glossy hair in different colors that are cut-outs of photographs. The same is true of the fabric of clothes and other objects. This is paired with a flat paint and clear black outlines making a combination that is modern and ageless.
An important addition to the civil rights history of the United States, this nonfiction picture book tells a story of courage and determination. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
April 23, 2016
Historically, Hispanic children were segregated from Anglo children in many public school districts in the southwestern states. The legal struggle in the courts to rectify that segregation took several interesting turns as it (1) influenced and (2) was influenced by the litigation efforts by blacks to end racial segregation in the public schools.
A landmark case in the struggle for equality was Westminster School Dist. of Orange County et al. v. Mendez et al. (161 F.2d 774, 9th Circuit), decided April 14, 1947. This book for children tells that story from the point of view of young Sylvia Mendez.
Sylvia Mendez was born in 1936 to a Mexican immigrant father and a Puerto Rican immigrant mother. When Sylvia was eight, her aunt took her, her siblings, and her nephews and tried to enroll the children in the “whites-only� school because it was superior to the ill-equipped wooden shack for Hispanic students. Sylvia’s aunt was told by school officials that her children, who had light skin, would be permitted to enroll, but that Sylvia and her brothers, who had darker skin and a Hispanic surname, could not enroll.
Sylvia’s father, aided by civil rights attorney David Marcus, began a community movement to file a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles against four Orange County school districts � Westminster, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and El Modena (now eastern Orange) � on behalf of about 5,000 Hispanic-American school children.
The trial court found that segregation of Hispanic children violated the 14th Amendment. Tonatiuh reviews why the judge found in favor of the plaintiffs, which I greatly admire: I think it is an excellent practice to treat children with the respect of explaining adult subjects to them, especially in ways they will be able to understand.
Unfortunately for the plaintiffs, the defendant school districts appealed, arguing that the plaintiffs had not stated a federal cause of action; since they were not authorized by California law to segregate the students, they were not acting within their authorized powers “as the state,� and hence were not covered by the 14th amendment. [The author does not go into this much technical detail in his book.] In any event, The Ninth Circuit disagreed, and again ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. Thereafter, then California Governor Earl Warren signed a law stating that all children in California were allowed to go to school together, regardless of race, ethnicity, or language.
[Later, when Earl Warren was serving as Chief Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, he heard the case Brown v. Board of Education. Thurgood Marshall, the lead attorney, used the arguments developed for Mendez v. Westminster to argue the Brown case. ]
At this point, the story in the book ends, with Sylvia’s mother advising Sylvia that when she returned to the school that initially rejected her, she should hold her head high:
“Looking around, she saw that other children were smiling at her. By the end of the day, she had made a friend. And by the end of the school year, she had made many friends of different backgrounds. She knew that her family had fought for that.�
In the Author’s Note that follows the story, Tonatiuh does mention, again to his great credit, that while the Mendez case applied to de jure segregation, it did not apply to de facto segregation, which has actually increased, because of rigidly segregated residential subdivisions, in a development with similar consequences for African-American students. Today, Latino and black students are more likely than ever to be attending segregated schools, largely a function of the composition of the areas in which they live, which in turn is strongly affected by poverty. See research reported by The Civil Rights Project and researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (now located at where you can find updates to the Harvard research) , noting that:
"Latinos, who are fast becoming the largest minority group in the country, attend the most severely segregated schools. Latino segregation has been increasing ever since data was first collected in the 1960s�.�
Similarly,Tonatiuh cites a 2013 study by the Civil Rights Project at UCLA reporting that �43 percent of Latino students and 38 percent of black students attend schools where fewer than 10 percent of their classmates are white.�
As the author writes:
“The Mendez family went to court almost seventy years ago, but their fight is relevant today. As the education specialists in the trial argued, the segregation of children creates feelings of superiority in one group and inferiority in another. We need to be able to interact and mingle so that prejudices break down, so that we can learn from one another, and so that evewryone has a fair shot at success.�
Not to mention that schools in poorer districts have a marked dearth of resources and good teachers. The Harvard Civil Rights Project study linked to above finds that "Poverty is linked to lower educational achievement, and racially segregated schools for all groups except whites are almost always schools with high concentrations of poverty."
That study cites the hostile political environment (and that was in 1999!) observing:
"Forty-five years after Brown v. Board of Education declared "separate but equal" as "inherently unequal," segregation continues to produce unequal educational opportunities, particularly for low-income minority students. . . . In a time when the country is rapidly growing and becoming more diverse, it is important that the nation's schools reflect this diversity. The immense gains of the civil rights movement cannot be taken for granted. As difficult as progress was to achieve, without a strong national policy supportive of desegregation, it is just as easily rolled back."
Tonatiuh ends by stating his hope that children learn about the background of civil rights and that “this book will help children . . . realize that their voices are valuable and that they too can make meaningful contributions to this country.�
In addition to the Author’s Note, the story is followed by photographs, a glossary, bibliography, and index.
Tonatiuh, who is also an award-winning illustrator, wrote on the about his gorgeous folkloric art work:
“My artwork is very much inspired by Pre-Columbian art, especially by Mixtec codices from the 14th century. That is why my art is very geometric, my characters are always in profile, and their ears look a bit like the number three. My intention is to celebrate that ancient art and keep it alive.�
The simplicity of the illustrations (which also tell the story without words) offset the details of the much denser text, and thus serve to extend the appropriate age range of this book.
Evaluation: This book gives children an intelligent and well-constructed look at the fight for equal rights, while also showing that the battle rights is not just relevant for African-Americans. With the increase in (overt) nativism spurred by the American presidential fight, the message in this book is all the more important. In addition, the mesmerizing illustrations will teach something about folk art and its ability to convey the truth of a story in spite of its lack of realism. Recommended age group is 7-12.
A landmark case in the struggle for equality was Westminster School Dist. of Orange County et al. v. Mendez et al. (161 F.2d 774, 9th Circuit), decided April 14, 1947. This book for children tells that story from the point of view of young Sylvia Mendez.
Sylvia Mendez was born in 1936 to a Mexican immigrant father and a Puerto Rican immigrant mother. When Sylvia was eight, her aunt took her, her siblings, and her nephews and tried to enroll the children in the “whites-only� school because it was superior to the ill-equipped wooden shack for Hispanic students. Sylvia’s aunt was told by school officials that her children, who had light skin, would be permitted to enroll, but that Sylvia and her brothers, who had darker skin and a Hispanic surname, could not enroll.
Sylvia’s father, aided by civil rights attorney David Marcus, began a community movement to file a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles against four Orange County school districts � Westminster, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and El Modena (now eastern Orange) � on behalf of about 5,000 Hispanic-American school children.
The trial court found that segregation of Hispanic children violated the 14th Amendment. Tonatiuh reviews why the judge found in favor of the plaintiffs, which I greatly admire: I think it is an excellent practice to treat children with the respect of explaining adult subjects to them, especially in ways they will be able to understand.
Unfortunately for the plaintiffs, the defendant school districts appealed, arguing that the plaintiffs had not stated a federal cause of action; since they were not authorized by California law to segregate the students, they were not acting within their authorized powers “as the state,� and hence were not covered by the 14th amendment. [The author does not go into this much technical detail in his book.] In any event, The Ninth Circuit disagreed, and again ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. Thereafter, then California Governor Earl Warren signed a law stating that all children in California were allowed to go to school together, regardless of race, ethnicity, or language.
[Later, when Earl Warren was serving as Chief Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, he heard the case Brown v. Board of Education. Thurgood Marshall, the lead attorney, used the arguments developed for Mendez v. Westminster to argue the Brown case. ]
At this point, the story in the book ends, with Sylvia’s mother advising Sylvia that when she returned to the school that initially rejected her, she should hold her head high:
“Looking around, she saw that other children were smiling at her. By the end of the day, she had made a friend. And by the end of the school year, she had made many friends of different backgrounds. She knew that her family had fought for that.�
In the Author’s Note that follows the story, Tonatiuh does mention, again to his great credit, that while the Mendez case applied to de jure segregation, it did not apply to de facto segregation, which has actually increased, because of rigidly segregated residential subdivisions, in a development with similar consequences for African-American students. Today, Latino and black students are more likely than ever to be attending segregated schools, largely a function of the composition of the areas in which they live, which in turn is strongly affected by poverty. See research reported by The Civil Rights Project and researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (now located at where you can find updates to the Harvard research) , noting that:
"Latinos, who are fast becoming the largest minority group in the country, attend the most severely segregated schools. Latino segregation has been increasing ever since data was first collected in the 1960s�.�
Similarly,Tonatiuh cites a 2013 study by the Civil Rights Project at UCLA reporting that �43 percent of Latino students and 38 percent of black students attend schools where fewer than 10 percent of their classmates are white.�
As the author writes:
“The Mendez family went to court almost seventy years ago, but their fight is relevant today. As the education specialists in the trial argued, the segregation of children creates feelings of superiority in one group and inferiority in another. We need to be able to interact and mingle so that prejudices break down, so that we can learn from one another, and so that evewryone has a fair shot at success.�
Not to mention that schools in poorer districts have a marked dearth of resources and good teachers. The Harvard Civil Rights Project study linked to above finds that "Poverty is linked to lower educational achievement, and racially segregated schools for all groups except whites are almost always schools with high concentrations of poverty."
That study cites the hostile political environment (and that was in 1999!) observing:
"Forty-five years after Brown v. Board of Education declared "separate but equal" as "inherently unequal," segregation continues to produce unequal educational opportunities, particularly for low-income minority students. . . . In a time when the country is rapidly growing and becoming more diverse, it is important that the nation's schools reflect this diversity. The immense gains of the civil rights movement cannot be taken for granted. As difficult as progress was to achieve, without a strong national policy supportive of desegregation, it is just as easily rolled back."
Tonatiuh ends by stating his hope that children learn about the background of civil rights and that “this book will help children . . . realize that their voices are valuable and that they too can make meaningful contributions to this country.�
In addition to the Author’s Note, the story is followed by photographs, a glossary, bibliography, and index.
Tonatiuh, who is also an award-winning illustrator, wrote on the about his gorgeous folkloric art work:
“My artwork is very much inspired by Pre-Columbian art, especially by Mixtec codices from the 14th century. That is why my art is very geometric, my characters are always in profile, and their ears look a bit like the number three. My intention is to celebrate that ancient art and keep it alive.�
The simplicity of the illustrations (which also tell the story without words) offset the details of the much denser text, and thus serve to extend the appropriate age range of this book.
Evaluation: This book gives children an intelligent and well-constructed look at the fight for equal rights, while also showing that the battle rights is not just relevant for African-Americans. With the increase in (overt) nativism spurred by the American presidential fight, the message in this book is all the more important. In addition, the mesmerizing illustrations will teach something about folk art and its ability to convey the truth of a story in spite of its lack of realism. Recommended age group is 7-12.
October 8, 2020
An inspiring picture book describing the fight Sylvia Mendez and her family had to put up in order for Sylvia and her brothers to have access to a good education. The book touches on race and economic disparities, and the struggle that people of color face when they have friends or family members who are "white passing." I had never heard the Mendez's story before but it's one I highly recommend. We hear most often about Ruby Bridges when we think of segregated schools, but we shouldn't forget that many other people of color have faced discrimination and we don't learn about them as often.
January 27, 2016
Geared towards upper elementary school students (because of the subject of the book), Separate is Never Equal chronicles the Mendez's family and their fight for desegregation. Sylvia Mendez, a soon to be third grader and her family moved to Westminster, California in search of a better life after her father had the opportunity to be his own boss (lease his own farm). The children were very excited to attend the neighborhood school until they visited the school to enroll and they were denied enrollment because of their Mexican Heritage, even though they had been born in the United States. The children were told they must attend the Mexican school in the neighborhood. This did not satisfy Mr. and Mrs. Mendez, so Mr. Mendez began his journey to fight for desegregation. The book follows Mr. Mendez's journey that started with a small petition that no one would sign to a Court case in which the school and school board showed that they denied enrollment to Mexican students because of the color of their skin and other stereotypes. The Mr. Mendez and the Mendez family lead the way to ending segregation in schools in California.
This is a wonderful story of one family's fight for equal rights and could be a very good text to use when teaching about equal rights. Upper elementary students are suggested because of the content of the story, there are some difficult concepts to grasp that younger elementary students may not understand. This book highlights the themes of never giving up, equal rights, and desegregation.
This is a wonderful story of one family's fight for equal rights and could be a very good text to use when teaching about equal rights. Upper elementary students are suggested because of the content of the story, there are some difficult concepts to grasp that younger elementary students may not understand. This book highlights the themes of never giving up, equal rights, and desegregation.
March 15, 2016
This informational picture book tells the story of one family’s fight against segregation in California schools in the mid-1940’s. The story is told through the viewpoint of 3rd grader Sylvia, whose mother is Puerto Rican and father is Mexican American. When told that his children must attend the “Mexican school� that is farther away and in poorer conditions despite the fact that they speak English as well as the white children, Sylvia’s father take up a fight for civil rights and organizes other Latino families in what would become a landmark court case.
I am not at all surprised that Tonatiuh’s work on this book was recognized with the Pura Belpre Honor because of his skill at telling such an important historical narrative in a way that engages students. Using young Sylvia as the protagonist, despite the fact that much of the action of the story is being taken by her father, will help young readers connect to the story. His work is complete with an extensive author’s note, glossary, bibliography, and index. His illustration style uses his personal touch with hand-drawn pictures enhanced by photographs and collage. His strong use of line enhances the characters and setting.
I look forward to using this book after our third graders read Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story. This will make a perfect companion text. I see a great opportunity to compare and contrast the historical information and the authors� styles.
I am not at all surprised that Tonatiuh’s work on this book was recognized with the Pura Belpre Honor because of his skill at telling such an important historical narrative in a way that engages students. Using young Sylvia as the protagonist, despite the fact that much of the action of the story is being taken by her father, will help young readers connect to the story. His work is complete with an extensive author’s note, glossary, bibliography, and index. His illustration style uses his personal touch with hand-drawn pictures enhanced by photographs and collage. His strong use of line enhances the characters and setting.
I look forward to using this book after our third graders read Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story. This will make a perfect companion text. I see a great opportunity to compare and contrast the historical information and the authors� styles.
February 13, 2015
Note: This is one of SLJ Best Books of 2014! Well, I am fairly certain I just read the next Pura Belpre winner. OK, so I'm wrongbut it was a Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Awards. The text was excellent. I wasn't really a fan of the illustrations. I'm rather hoping it might win one of the big awards as well since Tonatiuh deserves wider fame just like Morales does. This is about a famous case in my backyard: Orange County. The Mendez family moved there once they were able to buy and work their own farm and one of the family's first acts was to get the kids registered at the local school which refused them and told them to go to the much inferior Mexican school. The overt racism was pretty sickening. 7 years before the Brown case, Marshall entered a brief as president of NAACP in the Mendez case and Governor Earl Warren issued orders that all Californian schools needed to desegregate. Of course, both were major players in the Brown case. This should be in all library systems at least in California. It is a Californian case and we should take pride that this discrimination was settled before Brown made it illegal everywhere in the United States.
September 29, 2016
Tonatiuh writes and illustrates another winner in this account of the Mendez family's fight to desegregate schools in California, eventually leading to the landmark Supreme Court ruling Brown v. The Board of Education. Segregation is just another form of prejudice that I will never understand. In California it was the children of Mexican immigrants who were forced to go to inferior schools that in some cases were far from where they lived. An author's note at the end of the book provides further information on segregated education in the US, as well as photos of Sylvia Mendez as a schoolgirl and an adult. I was pleased to learn that she went on to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Older children may want to read Winifred Conkling's Sylvia and Aki, a novel about Sylvia Mendez. Recommended!
May 18, 2016
So in my attempt to read more picture books I discovered this little gem and checked this book out from the library and I was so surprised at the fact that I did not know anything about this case until I read this book and like it said in the back more people should know about this case as arguments from it were used in the brown v. board of education case. This is a great educational piece and I'm so upset that it took me so long to find it. The artwork was amazing and I loved the story. This is one book I'm thinking about adding to my collection.
June 10, 2019
This is an important picture book on a ground breaking case I wasn't aware of Mendez vs. Westminster, probably because it was a California case and affected only that state. My older students in elementary and middle school have been really interested in reading this book and have taken it to read several times. An important case which led to the federal case of Brown vs. BOE several years later.
October 22, 2017
Wow
This book is so incredibly amazing. It discusses issues of inequality and racism in a way that both children and adults can understand and identify with. Every child of every race should read this story. Wow. Just amazing. I will definitely be reading this story to my children someday.
xo,
Rach
This book is so incredibly amazing. It discusses issues of inequality and racism in a way that both children and adults can understand and identify with. Every child of every race should read this story. Wow. Just amazing. I will definitely be reading this story to my children someday.
xo,
Rach
May 31, 2016
Good example of segregation and changing unjust laws. Grade 5 students loved this as a read aloud and we had some terrific discussions.
May 2, 2018
This book is about a young girl named Sylvia Mendez and her family. Sylvia and her family moved to California, and tried enrolling the children into school where they were denied because they were Mexican. They were told that they had to attend a Mexican School. Sylvia's father was not okay with this so he fought for the rights of his children, but also other children. Mr. Mendez ended up taking this case to court where it was decided that this segregation needed to end. Thanks to Mr. Mendez's courageous fight he was able to make such an important change. This is a great book to read with children on important events that have changed our history.
March 7, 2018
This is an excellent book that looks at an important court case with language that an early-elementary-aged child can understand, and also frames the story with a young girl who learns to be proud of the rights her family has fought for. Full review:
March 9, 2025
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation
I Picked Up This Book Because: Whim.
Media Type: eBook
Source: CC Public Library
Dates Read: 3/6/25 - 3/8/25
Stars: 4 Stars
The Story:
An important lesson told in an age appropriate way.
I Picked Up This Book Because: Whim.
Media Type: eBook
Source: CC Public Library
Dates Read: 3/6/25 - 3/8/25
Stars: 4 Stars
The Story:
An important lesson told in an age appropriate way.
March 21, 2018
Very important book about segregation in schools. I did not know this story before. A Bluestem nominee for 2018!
June 27, 2018
Duncan Tonatiuh illustrations perfectly compliment this story about the Mendez v. Westminster School District trial in which school integration was won in California. I had no prior knowledge of this case that predates Brown v. Board of Education by 7 years! An excellent read.
June 26, 2020
This is a good tool to help your children understand the racial divide that has happened and has been happening in our country.
May 6, 2023
This is a great way to introduce to children the history of segregation and what it takes to change laws that are no longer needed. This also give children a good perspective of how prejudice and assumptions can make some one feel.
October 16, 2021
Interesting story of the battle to desegregate the public schools in California. Did not at all care for the art work. Very disturbing. Also at just 24 pages the word count was too much per page. The words and pictures did not convey emotions.
January 23, 2018
This informational picture book text chronicles the Mendez v. Westminster School District case in the fight for desegregated schools in California. It shares the story of Sylvia Mendez and her family's fight to desegregate schools. The journey started when Sylvia's family tried to enroll her and her brothers in their neighborhood school and they were turned away and told that they would have to attend the "Mexican school". This lead her family to file a lawsuit against the school district and go to trial to fight for an equal education.
This book won The Robert F. Sibert Medal and is a Pura Belpre Honor Book. The author, Duncan Tonatiuh, is Mexican and American, but was born and raised in Mexico and currently lives there today. This informational text is unique because the pictures in the text are not photographs, but illustrations inspired by ancient Mexican art. There is high level vocabulary in this book much of which is specific to the topic of the text. This book would be most appropriate to use with grades 3-5. It would be best used to teach students about the fight for desegregation of American schools. It tells a lesser known story and highlights another group of people in America that suffered from discrimination.
This book won The Robert F. Sibert Medal and is a Pura Belpre Honor Book. The author, Duncan Tonatiuh, is Mexican and American, but was born and raised in Mexico and currently lives there today. This informational text is unique because the pictures in the text are not photographs, but illustrations inspired by ancient Mexican art. There is high level vocabulary in this book much of which is specific to the topic of the text. This book would be most appropriate to use with grades 3-5. It would be best used to teach students about the fight for desegregation of American schools. It tells a lesser known story and highlights another group of people in America that suffered from discrimination.
April 22, 2015
1. Text to Text connection: The text to text connection for this story is the book Under the Mesquite Tree. With both of these stories the rights of the Mexican people is not equal and fair treatment as other cultures. I would also compare it to Sandra Cisneros' House on Mango Street. The children in their innocent explanation of the world as they see it recognize the lying and inequality of their culture. Their world as they see it is filled with inequalities. Some people can live in fancy homes or attend the schools with playgrounds, but the racial differences will not allow them to live in the large, fancy house or attend the white school. Sylvia wants to attend the same school as other children. She calls Mr. Kent a liar, because he doesn't know how well they speak English or about their personal hygiene. He says outright that he segregates the Mexican culture. It states in the text, "In order for the people of the United State to understand one another it is necessary for them to live together, and the the public school is the one mechanism where all the children of all the people go."
2. This book exposes children to the multiple perspectives and values through the explanation of how the Mexican Americans were segregated in the schools and public places such as pools, parks, and movie theaters. It speaks from the voice of a young girl who feels uncomfortable with her new school. Students tease her. After realizing the value in sharing of her culture, the other students backgrounds, and feeling justified in winning the lawsuit at the state court, Sylvia acknowledges that she deserves to attend the same school as the other students of white ethnicity. Sylvia and her father enlist the help of a veteran, Mr. Estrada, who fought for America in WWII and returns to find that his children aren't allowed to attend school with the white children. I love the use of the Mexican language and terms to define the quotes of Mr. Mendez. Using his exact words give more impact to the demands that the injustice be corrected. This little known event should be brought out for all people to be aware that their voice in America is important and each person can make meaningful contributions to society.
3. Six questions using Bloom's taxonomy
Remembering: List two things that the Mexican children were not allowed to do with white children.
Understanding:
Applying: Describe what is meant by segregation. Summarize the story.
Analyzing: How would you compare the schools of Hoover Elementary (Mexican School) and Westminster School?
Evaluating: Justify Mr. Mendez's actions in the story. Why did he feel this was so important?
Creating: Invent a new scenario. Twenty years later, the African Americans fought for civil rights in many states with inequalities. What would this scenario look like? What changes would be in the characters? Role play the story.
2. This book exposes children to the multiple perspectives and values through the explanation of how the Mexican Americans were segregated in the schools and public places such as pools, parks, and movie theaters. It speaks from the voice of a young girl who feels uncomfortable with her new school. Students tease her. After realizing the value in sharing of her culture, the other students backgrounds, and feeling justified in winning the lawsuit at the state court, Sylvia acknowledges that she deserves to attend the same school as the other students of white ethnicity. Sylvia and her father enlist the help of a veteran, Mr. Estrada, who fought for America in WWII and returns to find that his children aren't allowed to attend school with the white children. I love the use of the Mexican language and terms to define the quotes of Mr. Mendez. Using his exact words give more impact to the demands that the injustice be corrected. This little known event should be brought out for all people to be aware that their voice in America is important and each person can make meaningful contributions to society.
3. Six questions using Bloom's taxonomy
Remembering: List two things that the Mexican children were not allowed to do with white children.
Understanding:
Applying: Describe what is meant by segregation. Summarize the story.
Analyzing: How would you compare the schools of Hoover Elementary (Mexican School) and Westminster School?
Evaluating: Justify Mr. Mendez's actions in the story. Why did he feel this was so important?
Creating: Invent a new scenario. Twenty years later, the African Americans fought for civil rights in many states with inequalities. What would this scenario look like? What changes would be in the characters? Role play the story.
June 13, 2014
Richie’s Picks: SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL: SYLVIA MENDEZ & HER FAMILY’S FIGHT FOR DESEGREGATION by Duncan Tonatiuh, Abrams, May 2014, 40p., ISBN: 978-1-4197-1054-4
“At that time, not only were schools segregated but also other public places as well, such as pools, parks, and movie theaters. Some businesses even had signs that read, NO DOGS OR MEXICANS ALLOWED.�
Sylvia Mendez was not Mexican; she was American, and she spoke perfect English. Yet, because of her heritage, she could not attend her neighborhood school. Instead, she was required to attend the “Mexican� school across town:
“The building was a clapboard shack, and the halls were not spacious or clean. A cow pasture surrounded the school. The students had to eat their lunch outside, and flies would land on their food. There was an electric wire that surrounded the pasture to keep the cows in. If you touched it, you received a shock! The school did not have a playground--not even a swing.�
One thing I find exciting about the story of Sylvia Mendez and her family’s successful fight for equality is spelled out for readers by author/illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh in the Author’s Note:
“Two people who played key roles in the Brown case had also been involved in the Mendez case: Thurgood Marshall and Earl Warren. As a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Marshall had sent friend-of-the-court briefs to the judge in the Mendez case. In these letters he argued against segregation. He later used several of the same arguments when he became the lawyer in the Brown case. Earl Warren was the governor who signed into law the desegregation of schools in California after the Mendez victory. He later became the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He presided over the Brown case and ruled in Brown’s favor.�
SEGREGATION IS NEVER EQUAL illuminates an important episode in both California and U.S. history. It is an outstanding picture book for older readers that fills a significant child-lit gap in the timeline that runs from the Plessy v. Ferguson case through the Brown v. Board of Education case.
The illustrations are distinguished and distinctive. The characters are depicted in a flattened style reminiscent of folk murals, yet they provide a strong sense of action and emotion.
Here in California, where the state’s schoolchildren have the opportunity to vote for California Young Reader Medal contenders, I’m enthusiastically recommending this one for consideration in the Picture Books for Older Readers category.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks
[email protected]
Moderator
“At that time, not only were schools segregated but also other public places as well, such as pools, parks, and movie theaters. Some businesses even had signs that read, NO DOGS OR MEXICANS ALLOWED.�
Sylvia Mendez was not Mexican; she was American, and she spoke perfect English. Yet, because of her heritage, she could not attend her neighborhood school. Instead, she was required to attend the “Mexican� school across town:
“The building was a clapboard shack, and the halls were not spacious or clean. A cow pasture surrounded the school. The students had to eat their lunch outside, and flies would land on their food. There was an electric wire that surrounded the pasture to keep the cows in. If you touched it, you received a shock! The school did not have a playground--not even a swing.�
One thing I find exciting about the story of Sylvia Mendez and her family’s successful fight for equality is spelled out for readers by author/illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh in the Author’s Note:
“Two people who played key roles in the Brown case had also been involved in the Mendez case: Thurgood Marshall and Earl Warren. As a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Marshall had sent friend-of-the-court briefs to the judge in the Mendez case. In these letters he argued against segregation. He later used several of the same arguments when he became the lawyer in the Brown case. Earl Warren was the governor who signed into law the desegregation of schools in California after the Mendez victory. He later became the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He presided over the Brown case and ruled in Brown’s favor.�
SEGREGATION IS NEVER EQUAL illuminates an important episode in both California and U.S. history. It is an outstanding picture book for older readers that fills a significant child-lit gap in the timeline that runs from the Plessy v. Ferguson case through the Brown v. Board of Education case.
The illustrations are distinguished and distinctive. The characters are depicted in a flattened style reminiscent of folk murals, yet they provide a strong sense of action and emotion.
Here in California, where the state’s schoolchildren have the opportunity to vote for California Young Reader Medal contenders, I’m enthusiastically recommending this one for consideration in the Picture Books for Older Readers category.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks
[email protected]
Moderator
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