Remembering 4 students who challenged school segregation

When segregation kept Mexicans out of local high schools, four students set out to challenge the system and change that narrative for themselves and future generations.

IT'S HISPANIC HERITAGEMONTH... A TIME TO PAYTRIBUTE TO HISPANICAMERICANS WHO HAVEPOSITIVELY INFLUENCEDTHE NATION...AND THAT HISTORY RUNSDEEP RIGHT HERE IN THEMETRO.WHEN SEGREGATIONKEPT MEXICANS OUT OFLOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS --FOUR STUDENTS SET OUTTO CHALLENGE THESYSTEM AND CHANGETHAT NARRATIVE FORTHEMSELVES AND FUTUREGENERATIONS.41 ACTION NEWS'SYKNESE FIELDS HASTHEIR STORY.ROSE MARIE MENDEZ HASA RICH FAMILY HISTORY.Rose Marie MendeThat's my mom and my UncleJessHER MOTHER AND UNCLE,AMONG THE FIRST GROUPOF MEXICAN AMERICANSTUDENTS ALLOWED TOATTEND AN ALL-WHITEHIGH SCHOOL IN KCK.Rose Marie MendezThis is the class of 1930.Before that there were noMexicans graduating from thatschool at all...AND IT CAME NEARLY 25YEARS BEFORE THEBROWN VERSUS BOARDOF EDUCATION RULING.Gene ChavezThe schools really weren'tready to accept people ofcolor back in the 1920's.Rose Marie MendezThey had tomatoes thrown atmy mom and uncle andMarcos De Leon when theyapproached the front doors ofArgentine High School.At that time - THE STATEPROVIDED SEPARATE HIGHSCHOOLS FOR WHITE ANDBLACK STUDENTS butMEXICANS WERE ONLYALLOWED TO REACH THE8TH GRADE.AS WHITE PARENTS MADETHREATS over allowingMexicans to attend highschool... HISTORIAN GENECHAVEZ SAYS MENDEZ'SGRANDFATHER,SATURNINO ALVARADOwouldn't back down.Gene Chavezhe insisted that his childrenbe allowed to attend ArgentineHigh School.THE SCHOOL BOARDEVENTUALLY agreed TO LETTHEM INTO ANOTHER HIGHSCHOOL.IT WASN'T THE VICTORYPARENTS had HOPED FOR.Gene Chavezthey wanted to have them bein separate classrooms andusually those classroomswere in the basement or someannex and so the fouchildren's parents decided no,we're not going to do that sothey actually held out for ayear and didn't send theirchildren to school 21:19:12SOON -- THE U-SDEPARTMENT OF STATEAND THE MEXICANCONSULATE STEPPED IN -NEGOTIATING ON BEHALFOF THE STUDENTS.AND EVENTUALLY MAKINGWAY FOR MENDEZ'SMOTHER AND UNCLE TOBECOME PIONEERS.Rose Marie MendezThen the third one was mymom, the first Mexican girl.

Isaid, yes!

So they graduatedin the class of 1930 and highmarks on all three of them... AN ACCOMPLISHMENTTHAT LAID THEGROUNDWORK FOR THEKCK PUBLIC SCHOOLDISTRICT WE KNOW TODAY-- WITH HISPANICSTUDENTS MAKING UP 50PERCENT OF THEDISTRICT'S POPULATION.IN KCK, SYKNESE FIELDS,41 ACTION NEWS.THE FORMER ARGENTINEHIGH SCHOOL IS NOW AMIDDLE SCHOOL.THE SCHOOL'SAUDITORIUM WAS NAMEDAFTER SATURINOALVARADO IN 2003.