Questions for San Miguel readings
On the Home Front
1. What were the purposes for establishing the Office of Inter-American Affairs in 1940?
2.
What events took place in California and Texas that demonstrate the anti-Mexican sentiment in
the 1940’s? What was the response, and why?
3.
What was the Good Neighbor Commission of Texas, and what were its three major purposes?
4. What was the Statewide Committee, and what were its three major areas of education?
5. What principles were agreed upon following the Inter American Relations exploratory
conferences?
6. What were the demographics of the typical Spanish speaking person in the state of Texas?
7. What were the conflicting views of teaching Spanish speaking children in their native language?
Compelled to Litigate
1. What was the status of Mexican Americans following the period after World War II? How does
the experience of Ramon and Robles illustrate this?
2. What were some of the effects of school segregation on Mexican Americans?
3. What was the legal strategy behind Méndez v. Westminster School District? Why were the
court’s findings significant?
4. What constitutional issues not addressed by the Méndez case were clarified by the Delgado
decision?
5. What was the aftermath of the Delgado decision? Why do you suppose the Mexican Americans
found it difficult to mount challenges to the status quo?