Reflection

First of all I want to say that Ms. Knapp  you are a great teacher! You made class interesting by the energy  you brought to class, you are easy going and understanding. I'm going to be honest, and let you know that this has been the worst Semester. Not because of the classes or Instructors I had, but because of the things I went through. The month of April was horrible for me, and interfered with school. My dads heart attack, the accident I got in, and to top it off the gall stones. I'm not the type of student that misses school, I love school. It would be rare when I was late. Overall, I  enjoyed my English1A class. I was able to meet new people, and learned about new topics. My favorite topic was when we talked about the Zoot Suit Era. I had learned about this in Mr.Covarrubias class which was quite interesting, but it's a topic that I love! 

The Lemon Grove Incident

We have had many cases of segregation over the last 200 years. Even before the Civil War occurred slavery existed. Slavery was abolished through the thirteenth amendment in January 31^st of 1865, and ratified by the states in December 6^th of  1865. Although slavery was abolished, African Americans were not treated equal nor they were given the same rights.  Plessy Vs. Ferguson in 1896 is a popular case of segregation.  During this time the phrase “Separate but Equal” was very popular. The Supreme Court concluded that a Louisiana law requiring whites and blacks to ride in separate railroad cars did not violate the Equal Protection Clause.  It was more about the same quantity not quality. The fourteenth amendment sates that no one could be denied equal protection of the law.”  Plessy argued that "Our Constitution is color blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among its citizens." In other words, that our constitution is for us to be treated equal and does not approve of different social classes among them.

Although many reflect on the issues of segregation as a North and South problems it occurred in the West as well, where it was a place of equally discriminating policy.

Several years later another case of segregation occurred in Topeka, Kansas.

A well-known case that dealt with segregation called the  “Brown vs. Board of Education in 1950. It had to do with the segregation of African American children from White children in schools. African American children were not allowed to go to white schools. The parents of the African American children did not agree with what the Whites were doing, so they contacted the NAACP. (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) which was “Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. From the ballot box to the classroom, the thousands of dedicated workers, organizers, leaders and members who make up the NAACP continue to fight for social justice for all Americans.( NAACP.Org)

They lost the first case, but did not give up. They took the case to Superior courts, and rejoiced with victory. Yet, segregation continued.  

This was not the first case that was heard about desegregation. Twenty years earlier the first desegregation case took place. About 80 years have gone by since  the Alvarez vs. Lemon Grove District went to court, in Southern California. In this case Mexican Immigrants and their communities were the ones who were targeted of segregation by the all-White Lemon Grove school Board. This case took place during the Great Depression Era. It was not only the first desegregation case, but a successful case.      

In this paper I will explain and go into detail what was happening during the time that the case was taking place, and description of how Lemon Grove was portrayed , what the case was about, and those who were involved, nevertheless the outcome of  the case.

During the 1930’s the Great Depression Era occurred, when stock markets crashed, jobs were limited and Mexican Americans were being deported back to Mexico. It affected many, but struck the Mexicans the hardest, for they feared to be deported.

 Lemon Grove provided the Californios and Mexicanos jobs. For instance, jobs in agriculture, mining, and railroads.  About fifty Mexican families settled to live in Lemon Grove. Some Mexicans migrated from other near by town, creating a close relationship, rather than being scattered around. They formed a community of Baja Californios in Lemon Grove. Many families had many been there for many years, some had children that were American citizens by birth. Babies that were born in American soil to immigrants were referred as “anchor babies.” Many of these families desire to come to the U.S was so that their children can receive a better education and be someone in life.

In Bakersfield a family from so many other Mexican families were deported. Which the pinas described to the USA Today, "They came in with guns and told us to get out," recalls Piña, 81, a retired railroad worker in Bakersfield, Calif., of the 1931 raid. "They didn't let us take anything," not even a trunk that held birth certificates proving that he and his five siblings were U.S.-born citizens.

The deportation of Piña's family tells an almost-forgotten story of a 1930s anti-immigrant campaign. Tens of thousands, and possibly more than 400,000, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans were pressured — through raids and job denials — to leave the USA during the Depression, according to a USA TODAY review of documents and interviews with historians and deportees. Many, mostly children, were U.S. citizens.(Koch, USA Today).

The Great Depression was horrible. The Mexicans lived day by day waiting to see if they were next in being deported and struggled harder to make ends meet.

 Described by La Mesa Scout (1926) as “one of the prettiest spots in the San Diego suburban district… the hills surrounding the town are covered with fine lemon and orange groves that are producing hundreds of dollars… each year. Lemon Grove district was mainly populated by the better class people, which chose to live and call San Diego their home. However, things changed for them when little by little Mexican families started to settle in Lemon Grove.  Most families immigrated into San Diego County from many near by town. (Alvarez 1)

It was January 5, 1931 was the day that Principle Jerome T. Green from Lemon Grove Grammar School took action, after being instructed from the school trustees to except all students, but not the Mexican students. The children were humiliated and put down.  Jerome instructed them to leave to the barn, which would be there “new school” he told them they did not belonged there.

Of course the children where not happy with what they heard. They immediately went home and informed their parents, and told them what had happened. The parents where furious! The parents had not been informed about this, so it took them by surprise.

On July 23^rd, 1930 about six months before the barred entrance, the board had met.  That was the day that they discussed the separation, of the Mexican children from the American children.

The children were embarrassed to go to “school in barn” where they were provided two teachers, used supplies, hand me down books and desks.  Of course the parents did not allowed their children to go to school.  Even though, during this time the national repatriation was taking place, this was to lower the number of alien Mexicans in California, the parents did not think twice about defending their children. The repatriation was when they deported  Mexicans you looked like one and  you would be deported, paid train and everything.

The parents were not going to let no one get over on them and their children. Most of the 75 Mexican children who attended that school were citizens. There was a total of 169 that students that attended that school. Those children had the same rights as the American children. The Mexican American joined with the immigrant parents were not going to let this happen. They would fight to established the rights of their children to equal education, despite what the majority of the population favored, segregation, and deportation of the Mexican population in the United States.

It was then when the parents of these children decided to reach out to Enrique Ferreira who had been the Mexican Consul for about ten years, for advice. With some help from him they took Lemon Grove school board to court, for they felt that segregating their children from school was unethical.  Ferreira contacted attorneys, Fred C. Noon and A.C. Brinkely to act as legal consul for the Mexican American parents in Lemon Grove. The families got together and organized a Comite de Vecinos de Lemon Grove.

The parents went beyond asking for help from the Mexican Consul; they went to the speaking Spanish community, the media and other latinos to get support on what was going on. While this was happening, the all- white Lemon Grove school board was panicking, They had no idea that this would happened. Of course they thought that the parents of these children were going to accept anything, for they would be afraid to being deported.

The Lemon Grove all-white school board did not feel they were doing anything wrong. The so called new school could held about 85 desks, it had a playground, it was built on the side of their convenience, they required special attention and would receive it there. They argued that the school was built on purpose to establish an Americanization school where they would receive better instruction that they were not able to get at the larger school.

The Lemon Grove argued that the Americanization school was not intended to be a segregation of Mexican children.

Still the parents did not care about their reasons.

 Robert Alvarez speaks in a documentary that he was the lead plaintiff in the 1931 lawsuit against the Lemon Grove Board of trustees. His parents were the ones who organized, and got most of the Mexican community involved. Many were scared at first, for they did not want to be deported.

The court case focused around a rebuttal of the school board's claims concerning the backwardness and deficiencies of the Mexican American children. In addition to the plaintiff representing the children at large, ten principal witnesses took the stand to illustrate the inaccurate generalizations concerning the scholastic achievements of the Mexican children. But the major questions were levied at the school board and school staff.

Judge Chambers: When there are American children who are behind (in grade level), what do you do with them?

Answer: They are kept in a lower grade.

Judge: You don't segregate them? Why not do the same with the other
children?

Wouldn't the association of American and Mexican children be favorable to the learning of English for these (Mexican) children?

Silence is the answer.

Lawyer Noon: All the Mexican children were behind (in their work)?

Answer: Many of them from the Lemon Grove School counsel.

Noon: How did they behave in school?

Answer: The older ones behaved themselves; the younger ones gave us a lot
of work.

Noon: What was the reason for separating them?

Answer: To provide them with more personal attention.⁴⁹

In concluding Judge Chambers stated:

"I understand that you can separate a few children, to improve their education they need special instruction; but to separate all the Mexicans in one group can only be done by infringing the laws of the State of California. And I do not blame the Mexican children because a few of them are behind (in school work) for this segregation. On the contrary, this is a fact in their favor. I believe that this separation denies the Mexican children the presence of the American children, which is so necessary to learn the English language." (Alvarez 5)

The Judge himself knew what they were doing was not with a good intension. He felt that they all had the same rights, regardless of how fast one learns. The Lemon Grove Board felt that their children were being held back because the instructors could not proceed because the Mexicans could not catch up. What the whites feared the most was their children being mixed with Mexican children, they did not want them to end up together in the future. They were afraid of the multi-cultural.

This is case that is not heard about, for they isolated it and made it a local thing.  After two months, the Mexican children were able to go back to school.  They were happy!

            This is a case that shows if we stand next to each other to fight for our rights, it can become reality. The parents of these children were afraid, yet they fought for their childrens’ right. Many of them had been living in Lemon Grove for a very long time.  I have two daughter that I would fight for no matter what!  These poor children were forced to act like Americans. They were hit if they spoke Spanish. They were not allowed to act like a Mexican. The instructors were watering down their cultures. They were depriving them from their background. I feel that this case is important to many, and myself because thanks to them now we are all able to mix in schools and are all treated equally.

The Plessy V. Ferguson might have not won, but did bring a lot of attention of how wrong it was. The Brown case lost the first case, but did not give up. That shows that we as human have determination to fight for what is right. We should all be treated equally, for we are all humans. 

Annotated Bibliography

Alvarez v. Lemon Grove District

The Lemon Grove Incident [videorecording] / KPBS-TV;

Producer, writer, Paul Espinosa; director, Frank Imprint

New York, N.Y, ; Cinema Guild, 1985

“The Lemon Grove Incident” by Paul Espinosa is a documentary which takes place in Lemon Grove, CA . The film describes in detail the Alvarez v. Lemon Grove School District case was about. The video also contains pictures of the barn that the Americans try to put Mexican kids in. The documentary states the reason why the Americans felt it was the best thing to do, and their reason why they did it.  I decided to use this film as a resource because it does not only focuses on the actual case, but also has several people that lived it which share their testimony of how they felt, what they did to prevent segregation, and the role they played. I feel that this film is important because it goes beyond what one can read. One gets to feel how the Mexicans felt and one is able to relate to their pain.

Ruiz, Vicki L. "Alvarez v. Lemon Grove District ." The American Mosaic: The Latino American Experience. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. 

“Alvarez v. Lemon Grove District,” an article written by Vicky L Ruiz describes what happened on January 5, 1931 in San Diego. Ruiz states in this article what triggers Mexican American to take Lemon Grove District to court. Despite their fear of deportation, they fought for their children rights. What I found most interesting in this article is how Ruiz describes in detail the barn and the reasons why the Americans felt that segregating the children was the best for them.  I’m using this article because I like how Ruiz uses elementary language and it is easy for me to understand the article. It also contains a lot of good information that I can use for my research for paper.

Vigil, James Diego. From Indians to Chicanos: The Dynamics of Mexican-American Culture. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland, 1998. Pr.

“From Indians to Chicanos” is a book written by James Diego Vigil in 1998. This is a great book that describes in detail how Indians became Chicanos. When I first read this book, for a previous class, the chapter that grabbed my attention was Ch.8 “Aspects of Cultural Imperialism.” In this chapter it talks about the Lemon Grove Incident, and how the Americans tried to segregate their children from the Mexicans. I’m Salvadorian; however, I identify myself with the same cultural background. I decided to write about the Lemon Grove Incident and to use this book because it does not only cover the topic I’m writing about, but it also has background about what was going on at the time. Who was affected and who was target. I feel that what the Americans were trying to do was not right and I would have also one way or another made my voice heard no matter what the outcome would have been.

                                                                                                     

"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"

Life without music would be boring! Music does not only make life fun, but it is also used for comfort, relaxation, exercising or dancing!  I personally love to listen and dance to music! I mean who doesn't?

From all the music that I listen to Christian music is my ultimate favorite. I listen to it a lot. It inspires me each and everyday to become a better person, but most of all a sense of comfort and peace within. I also feel so much closer to God when I hear Christian music. My day always seems to feel better.

I use to be in a bad relationship for about six years. During that time I held many feelings and thoughts inside.  I felt all alone during that time because I could not tell any one anything, for I was afraid. I would listen to music and cry. It would make me feel better. If I listen to slow songs I would feel hopeless,but they made me feel much better.
The song that I chose to share was the song by Kelly Clarkson "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." True!! I learned that the hard way. I'm sure I'm not the only one whose felt hopeless and feel like quitting and then realize that you are capable of more than what you think! Our struggles in life only makes us stronger. What we experience in life strengthens us to be able to face the next thing that comes our way.

These are the parts of this song which inspire me:


What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone.
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean i'm over cause you're gone
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me myself and I


Thanks to you I got a new thing started
Thanks to you I'm not the broken hearted
Thanks to you I'm finally thinking 'bout me
You know in the end the day I left was just my beginning


When I was strong enough to walk away, I decided to do me and my children. I'm not only stronger, but I know what I'm worth. My life is going better than ever now! Music is amazing, especially if you have those favorites that inspires oneself and makes us realize things that we might be to blind to see ourselves.

How to Tame a Wild Tounge

As I read the short story "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," by Goria Anzaldua I came across some difficult sections. For instance, " Chicanos and other people of color suffer economically for not acculturating. This voluntary ( yet force) alienation makes for psychological conflict, a kind of dual identity- we don't identify with the Anglo-American cultural values and we don't totally identify with the Anglo-American... (112)." I read and re read this part and I did not understand it at first. I took a sentence word by word, and then looked up words in the dictionary. That helped me a lot. While looking up the words I  realized that I had seen certain words before. I took Mr.Covarrubias class last summer, and covered Chicano culture. We also discussed how they believed in duality and the acculturation and alienation. I still had my books and read a little bit about duality. I also have my portfolio from that class, and I read it to refresh my memory to understand what Anzaldua was trying to. Reading this story was interesting, but a little bit difficult as well. As I read it, I had flash backs about some of the things I have faced in life.

Although I am Salvadorian, I was able to identify myself with Gloria Anzaldua even though she is Mexican.  Yes we are both consider Hispanics, but totally different. Our cultural backgrounds and beliefs are different in many ways. However, it was easy for me to read and understand the Spanish sentences, slang words and sayings. A saying that caught my attention that my mom says is,  "En boca cerrada no etran moscas" (103). So true! In a closed mouth no flies can go in. In other words don't be a gossiper and mind your own business, or it can get you in trouble.

Gender

Growing up their were many chores that I had to help my mom with. My brothers would play video games, or played soccer while I got stuck washing dishes, sweeping and mopping. I have three brothers and no sisters,so I felt as if I had no choice but to help my mom.

I didn't mind because she was tired from working all day. I just  didn't understand why my brothers didn't have to help out. They were all in perfect condition to help. They all had hands, and they were no going to become a girl was what I would tell myself.  It wasn't until I was about 14 years old when I finally put my foot down. I felt that my brothers were taking advantage of me. They would ask me to serve them, take them a fork, juice or whatever they needed. I would do it because I didn't want them to get mad, but enough was enough. Yes, once in awhile it was okay, but not all the time.  My parents are always neutral with the chores around the house. I asked my parents to talk to my brothers and tell them that they needed to start helping out. At first my brothers laughed and they said that it was a girls job! Their laughs' didn't last long. That same day my parents divided the chores. I was so happy!
Gender has shaped my identity and impacted my life in many ways. For a long time I felt that only women should do this or do that. I think it's fine to pamper your husband/ partner, but always making sure that they appreciate what you do. I'm a strong hard working mom, and I'm happy of who I have become.
My dad is now retired. He is the one who stays home cleans and cooks. My brothers and I help him with the chores around the house. Even though chores are a never ending story.

Overall, I feel that chores should be equally distributed no matter what the gender may be. Yes, there is some chores that are more difficult than others; however, that shouldn't stop a man/women from doing an easier chore.

Open letter to President McKinley

" We ask for the enjoyment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness equally with other men," is what the colored people of Massachusetts asked for. The CNL presented an open letter to President McKinley to try an fight  the discrimination and violence against the slaves. Archibald H. Grimke; a Harvard Law graduate read the letter to express the feeling of injustice of all freedmen; however, greatly discriminated. The letter presents as evidence cases of injustice and no protection for the former slaves.Why they were treated differently they wondered. McKinley knew about the ongoing issues, but did not do anything to help. The CNL stated how they were promised freedom and equal rights; however, that was not the case.The 13th amendment was passed on 1864, but for many years the former slaves were treated terrible. They still had no right to vote, and the KKK did a good job to intimidate and create fear and hopelessness. Cases of violent acts were presented. One of them was about five helpless Negro prisoners on a charge of incendiarism which is the act of burning something, they were brutally murdered. "These men where American citizens, entitled to the rights of American citizens, protection and trail by due process of law." (p.49 para 16) This is was only one case, yet there was many of them.
I believe that the Executive branch should have done something to enforce these laws. The former slaves had no protection whatsoever. The Congress of the United States thought they had to help during the Cuban Revolution and used armed forces to expel Spain form that island. Why did they have to go an help others, when they were facing horrible events right in front of their eyes? " Is it better to be Cuban revolutionist fighting for Cuba independence than American citizens striving to do their simple duty at home? Or is it better only in case those American citizens doing their  simple duty at home happen to be Negros residing in the Southern state" (p.51 paragraph 23)?  
This statement made it very clear that discrimination was occurring. Even though everyone seen what was going on, they did nothing to put a stop to it. 
Overall, the CNL presented this letter to open up to the President asking for protection, justice, and their equal rights. No one deserves to be treated bad, yet be discriminated against. We are all human being, no matter our color or race!