Guzman Ceremonial Street-Naming Signs Unveiling Ceremony
4:00pm - 5:00pm
The City of Santa Ana will celebrate the unveiling of the latest ceremonial street signs, under the City Council’s program to recognize individuals of historical significance or those who have contributed to the Santa Ana community. The ceremonial “Virginia and William Guzman Way” signs will be installed along Santa Ana Boulevard at the intersections of Pacific Avenue and Forest Street. The public is invited to attend a brief ceremony.
Virginia Guzman attended Fremont Elementary, a school designated solely for Mexican students, during a time when educational authorities in Orange County subjected children from diverse background to inadequate learning conditions and were unfairly separated from their white counterparts. The Guzman family, along with four other families, were instrumental in the landmark case Mendez, et al v. Westminster School District of Orange County, et al, which addressed discriminatory practices within the Orange County school system.
Virginia and William Guzman connected with parents in Westminster, El Modena, and Garden Grove and filed Mendez, et al v. Westminster in 1946, which helped to end school segregation in California. The case not only set a precedent for later court cases, such as Brown v. Board of Education, but also showcased the Mexican-American community’s leadership in fighting for their rights and winning.