American Experience

General

What did you learn from this film, and how might you act on what you learned?

Imagine that you could send a copy of this film to anyone in the world. To whom would you send it and what would you say to them about why you want them to see it?

Describe a moment in the film that you found particularly inspiring or disturbing. What was it about that scene that moved you?

The Significance of Historical Memory

Did you already know about the history recounted in the film? What is the impact of people and communities knowing or not knowing this history? Who benefits and who is harmed by having this history remain invisible? In particular, how might greater knowledge of the Hernandez case influence the way Latinos see themselves today?

What role does the acknowledgment of historical wrongs play in a nation’s ability to heal from long-term discrimination? In your view, what form should that acknowledgment take?

In the film, we hear a radio interview in Spanish with Gus García, an example of local media coverage of the case. Elsewhere the case received little coverage. How does media coverage influence the impact of an event like a Supreme Court civil rights victory? Do you know of current struggles for justice that are not reported in mainstream media outlets? What are the effects of their exclusion?

Citizenship and Constitutional Protections

What is the significance of the film’s title, “A Class Apart”?

The film observes that, “Legal citizenship for Mexican Americans was one thing; equal treatment turned out to be quite another.” In what ways can laws guarantee equality? In what ways are laws limited in their ability to guarantee equality? In addition to changing laws, what kinds of things need to happen to eliminate discrimination when it is infused in the social code (not just the legal code) of a community or country?

For decades, Americans have debated the value of diversity and whether or not it should be actively promoted by law (e.g., in affirmative action policies). What do you learn about the value of diversity from the questions about Mexican Americans that members of the Supreme Court asked Gus García and Carlos Cadena?

Why did attorneys representing the State of Texas support the right of the court to exclude Mexican Americans from juries? How would inclusion of Mexican Americans, especially in trails of white defendants, challenge the social order? How would you define or describe a “jury of your peers”? Would it have to include people of your race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, age, or gender? Why or why not? Why is judgment by a jury of peers important enough to American democracy that it is guaranteed by law?

What do you learn from the film about the significance of the Supreme Court? Why did the Hernandez lawyers feel the need to have their case heard before the Supreme Court? How does the Supreme Court differ from local, state, and lower federal courts, both in terms of jurisdiction and in terms of who serves and how they come to hold their positions?

In what ways did the victory in Hernandez v. Texas benefit Mexican Americans? How did the decision benefit all Americans?

Prejudice and Discrimination

Prior to viewing the film, what images came to mind when you heard the term Mexican American? What were the sources of your ideas about Mexican Americans? In what ways did the film confirm or challenge your ideas?

Given the history of discrimination against Mexican Americans because they were not perceived as white, how is it that America came to define Mexican Americans as legally white? What role did racism play in the designation of Mexican Americans as white?

How was the experience of Mexican Americans similar to and different from the experiences of African Americans?

Thousands of Mexicans came to be American citizens as the result of a military conflict in 1848 in which the United States took control of former Mexican territory. What did you learn from the film about the integration of a resident population into a new nation? In what ways does this history impact your view of today’s immigration debates? What lessons does the experience of these early Mexican Americans hold for people in the world today who are displaced by war or forced to live under a new government? What lessons does it hold for today’s Latino Americans?

Describe the discrimination faced by Mexican Americans prior to the Hernandez decision. For those in the room who were part of that community, what discrimination did you experience or witness? What are the long-term effects of pervasive discrimination such as being denied jobs, being prohibited from buying homes in good neighborhoods, not having quality schools, or the existence of “sundown towns”? How have those effects filtered through subsequent generations, even after the most blatant discrimination has ended? Is there discrimination against Latinos today? If so, how has it changed?

Veteran Ramiro Casso says, “We went to fight to give people liberty and to give them their civil rights, and then we come back home and we find that it is the same way as we left it.” What role did World War II veterans play in making demands for civil rights? How did their military service change perceptions and expectations? Why was the 1949 denial of a memorial service to Pvt. Felix Longoria a pivotal moment? What is the current relationship between military service and struggles against discrimination?

Leadership and Change

Would you call Gus García a hero? Why or why not? What lessons about him would you teach in schools? Would they include his battles with alcohol and mental illness? Why or why not? What are the benefits and drawbacks from the desire for perfection in our heroes?

History often recounts only the stories of leaders or famous people. In what specific ways did ordinary people make possible the victory achieved by the lawyers? What did you learn about community involvement in change from the experience of people like Pauline Rosa or those who contributed their pocket change?

How do you think the Supreme Court victory influenced the way that Mexican Americans saw themselves? How did it influence the community’s ability to fight for and claim their civil rights?

This teachers’ resource was developed by Active Voice for Camino Bluff Productions. Visit activevoice.net for more information.