More than 80 years after they challenged school segregation in California through a landmark federal court case, the Santa Ana Unified School District honored two Mexican-American parents, Virginia and William Guzman, at a dedication ceremony renaming an elementary school in their honor.
The recent ceremony is part of local efforts to shed light on the families involved in the history of Mendez v. Westminster, a 1947 class-action lawsuit that challenged school segregation by suing multiple districts, including Westminster, Santa Ana and Garden Grove. The Guzmans were one of five Mexican-American families involved in the case, which helped lay the groundwork for the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
Margie Aguirre, far left, shakes hands with Beverly Guzman as David James Gonzales, middle, observes. The meeting was during the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony, renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) A plaque renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) The school choir performs in the rain, during the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony, renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) Sylvia Reyes holds an umbrella over her 3 year-old son, Alvaro Moreno during the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony, renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) A rainbow appears as Maricela Roque, far left, Dianna Torres, Lupita Cruz and Eddie Leon watch the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony. It was during the renaming of Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) Due to the pouring rain, event organizers move tarps prior to during the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony. It was for the renaming of Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) Beverly Guzman, middle, cuts the ribbon during the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony, renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) Beverly Guzman speaks during the Santa Ana Unified School District ceremony, renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) Beverly Guzman, far left, is hugged by Andrew Palomino during the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony, renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) Dominique Danielle, far left, and Catherine Murphy during the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony, renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The two are working on a documentury about the 1947 Mendez et al case. Murphy expressed feeling emotional during the ceremony. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) Johnathan Hernandez, far left, Vicente Sarmiento, and Carlos Leon, laugh as rain drips through the tarp during the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony, renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) Show Caption1 of 11Margie Aguirre, far left, shakes hands with Beverly Guzman as David James Gonzales, middle, observes. The meeting was during the Santa Ana Unified School District dedication ceremony, renaming Fremont Elementary School as Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. The event was held on Thursday January 22, 2026. (Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer) Expand“SAUSD proudly dedicated the newly renamed and modernized Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School,” district officials said in a statement, “inspired by students who learned about the Guzman family’s courage through ethnic studies and helped bring this honor to life.”
Formerly Fremont Elementary, the school was renamed following a unanimous vote by the SAUSD board last year, with the change taking effect in June.
At the time of the Mendez court decision, segregation was widespread in California’s public schools, with children who had Mexican surnames routinely placed on separate campuses that received fewer resources than those serving White students. One of those schools was Fremont Elementary, which Virginia Guzman attended as a child and where she later recalled witnessing Mexican students face punishment for speaking Spanish.
When her 8-year-old son, Billy, was set to attend Fremont, Guzman asked school officials to transfer him to Franklin Elementary, a predominantly White, better-resourced school. After her request was denied, the Guzmans became the first family to pursue legal action against the district in an effort to challenge school segregation.
Although those early efforts were unsuccessful, they paved the way for Mendez v. Westminster in 1945. Which, after a two-year court battle, resulted in a U.S. District Court judge ruling in favor of the Mendez, Guzman, Ramírez, Palomino and Estrada families and declaring the segregation of Mexican-American students unconstitutional.
In 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1805 into law, requiring public schools to include the Mendez v. Westminster case as part of the state’s history and social science curriculum.
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