Book of the Week

As you all might have guessed by now, I have a bit of a soft spot for the literary work of Matt Ruff. However, with this latest novel of his, it seems like others are liking his work as well. In fact, I just read that it has been chosen to become the inspiration for an upcoming HBO TV series.

Even if you aren't into HBO, the book makes for an interesting read. After all, critics have been justly dissing H. P. Lovecraft for his racism for years but Matt Ruff seemed to be one of the few writers who have dared to make literary lemonade from Lovecraft's sour prejudices. And he tells a good story too -- so good I dare not tell you too much for fear of spoilers.

Why Trump Won the Election

It's tempting to say "just lucky, I guess" but I suspect Lynn of Violins and Starships has a far better reply.

For that matter, so does Michael Moore. That's right. The same Michael Moore whom I have dissed on previous occasions.

I may have to do a lot of major rethinking about that guy.

Court Rulings

Romo v. Laird (1925). Earliest desegregation lawsuit filed by Mexican-Americans. Victorious plaintiffs in Tempe, Arizona, did not challenge the legality of segregation but charged that segregation against Mexicans was illegal because the schools were separate but not equal.

Alvarez v. Lemon Grove School Board of Education (1930). Mexican-American desegregation battle waged in Lemon Grove, California, prior to Topeka v. Brown.

Salvatierra v. Del Rio Independent School District (1930). The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) filed suit in a Texas district court on behalf of the parents of Mexican American children attending public school in Del Rio, Texas. 1930 the Texas Court of Civil Appeals agreed with the trial court that "school authorities have no power to arbitrarily segregate Mexican children, assign them to separate schools, and exclude them from schools maintained for children of other white races, merely or solely because they are Mexicans." Even so, the appellate court dissolved the injunction prohibiting segregation because there was no proof of intent to discriminate. It was within the "pedagogical wisdom" of the educators to separate children with language problems.

Mendez v. Westminster (1946). A federal court case that challenged racial segregation in Orange County, California schools. In its ruling, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in an en banc decision, held that the segregation of Mexican and Mexican American students into separate "Mexican schools" was unconstitutional. Ruled on February 18, 1946. Started when a young Mexican-American and Puerto Rican couple in Southern California tried to enroll their son in an all-white school, but the school district refused to allow it.

Delgado v. Bastrop Independent School District (1948). Mexican-American desegregation battle waged in Bastrop County, Texas, prior to Topeka v. Brown.

Gonzales v. Sheely (1951). Mexican-American desegregation battle waged in Tolleson, Arizona, prior to Topeka v. Brown.

Hernandez v. Texas (1954). U.S. Supreme Court case that decided that Mexican Americans and all other racial groups in the United States had equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Argued January 11, 1954. Decided May 3, 1954.