Description

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The empowering true story of the 1931 Lemon Grove Incident, in which Mexican families in southern California won the first Mexican American school desegregation case in US history.

Twelve-year-old Roberto lvarez loved school. He, his siblings, and neighbors attended the Lemon Grove School along with the Anglo children from nearby homes. The children studied and played together as equals.

In the summer of 1930, the Lemon Grove School Board decided to segregate the Mexican American students. The board claimed the children had a language handicap" and needed to be "Americanized." When the Mexican families learned of this plan, they refused to let their children enter the small, inferior school that had been erected. They formed neighborhood committee and sought legal help. Roberto, an excellent student who spoke English well, became the plaintiff in a suit filed by the Mexican families. On March 12, 1931, the case of Roberto lvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District was decided. The judge ruled in favor of the children's right to equal education, ordering that Roberto and all the other Mexican American students be immediately reinstated in the Lemon Grove School.

The Lemon Grove Incident stands a major victory in the battle against school segregation, and a testament to the tenacity of an immigrant community and its fight for educational equality.

About the Author

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CHRISTY HALE has illustrated numerous award-winning books for children, including Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building and several other titles for Lee & Low Books. She is also an art educator and has introduced young readers to the lives and works of many artists through Instructor magazine's Masterpiece of the Month feature and accompanying workshops. Hale lives with her husband in Palo Alto, California. You can visit her online at christyhale.com. Christy Haleis the author and illustrator of several acclaimed children's books, including four published by Lee & Low, and she has illustrated numerous other award-winning picture books as well. Hale also works in the children's book field as an art director, a designer, and an educator, offering programs at schools, libraries, and museums. She lives with her husband in Palo Alto, California. You can learn more about her at christyhale.com.