Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation

 

Bibliography

Tonatiuh, Duncan, 2014. SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL: SYLVIA MENDEZ & HER FAMILY'S FIGHT FOR DESEGREGATION. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781419710544.

Plot Summary

In 1947, Sylvia Mendez is excited to begin school in the new city her family moved to. When she walks through the door, she is immediately greeted with rudeness and is told to go to the Mexican school instead. Hurt and ashamed, she tells her mother she does not want to go to school anymore. Her mother listens to her sadness and reminds her to hold her head high, the Mendez family fought for the right to attend the Westminster school. She was being unfairly judged for her looks alone, despite being an American who spoke perfect English, all people saw was her dark hair and skin. Sylvia's mother reminds her of how her family fought for the same opportunity for the kids to attend a good school and have equal rights. 

Critical Analysis 

Duncan Tonatiuh shares the powerful, true story of the Mendez family and their triumph towards Mexican children being able to attend the prestigious Westminster school in California. After years of working in the field, Mr. Mendez was able to save up enough money to lease his own farm and run his own business. Proving one day, hard work and sacrifice will pay off. However, an added stress appears when the Mendez children are unable to attend the neighborhood Westminster school, due to the color of their skin and ethnicity. They are left with no explanations on why the children are not able to attend the school, the only answer being they attend the Mexican school - a small shack on a fly infested cow pasture, surrounded by an electric fence. Horrified by the injustice and lack of answers, Mr. Mendez hires a lawyer to file a lawsuit against Westminster School District. At this time, Mrs. Mendez is tending to the farm's responsibilities and the children, while her husband works with the lawyer to gather other families to join the cause. Many of the families are afraid to speak, for fear of losing their jobs on the farms. But the Mendez family is determined, no matter the cost, they fight for their children's education and equal rights. Young Sylvia is old enough to understand the important lesson this experience provides; fairness, equality, and misrepresentation. She is confused as to why she was quickly judged by her looks; her dark skin and dark hair should not takeaway the fact that she is American and speaks perfect English. While sitting in the courthouse, fighting their case, Sylvia is shocked to hear the outrageous lies the school district provides as their reasoning for not admitting Mexican children into the school. Unfortunately, being a true story, this is how Mexican families were originally treated in the 1940's in America. Their skin color and language being the only reason for harsh, unreasonable judgement, not their character. Thankfully, their voices and voices from families of differing cultures were heard in the courtroom and the Mendez family won their multiple cases. Their honest and fair beliefs were heard, leading children all over California to no longer attend segregated schools. Children of all cultures would no longer be left out or viewed as superior/inferior thanks to the honest efforts of the Mendez family. An important story for all children to read, an opportunity to gain empathy for others and use their voices to stand up for fairness and equality. 

Not only did Tonatiuh recount a powerful civil rights story in American history, but he also provided strong illustrations to support the recollection. The illustrations are undoubtedly products of Tonatiuh's talented work, inspired by Pre-Colombian art, more specifically the Miztec codex. It also appears that some materials in the illustrations are more realistic, provided with a texture, such as the trees, leather seats, desks, brick walls, etc. The illustrations support each scene of the story, providing readers with the authentic feelings of the Mendez family during this difficult time. Each character's face depicts the raw emotion they felt and each activity illustrated provides readers with visualizations of the hardships Mexican American families faced during this time. The perfect addition to help young children understand an important event in history, one that contributed to the educational and equal rights of families and children of all backgrounds. 

Review Excerpt(s)

- Américas Award

- Tomás Rivera Award

- Jane Addams Award

- Pura Belpré Illustration Honor Book

- Sibert Medal Honor

- FOCAL Award

- Bluebonnet Masterlist

- Orbis Pictus Honor

Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "A compelling story told with impeccable care."

Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "This story deserves to be more widely known, and now, thanks to this book, it will be."  

Connections

- Fans of Duncan Tonatiuh will be eager to read an authentic, illustrated version of the Mendez vs. Westminster School District case.

- Young readers are given the opportunity to read about the case that paved the decision for Brown vs. Board of Education.

- Similar book recommendations:

Tonatiuh, Duncan, 2019. SOLDIER FOR EQUALITY: JOSÉ DE LA SÁENZ AND THE GREAT WAR. ISBN 9781419736827.

Tonatiuh, Duncan, 2010. DEAR PRIMO: A LETTER TO MY COUSIN. ISBN 9780810938724.