Mendez, her brother, and Mendez's parents (who were of Puerto Rican descent) are the reason that segregation ended in Orange County. In the 1940s, the Mendez children were told they would have to attend the district's "Mexican" school because of the color of their skin and last name. Mendez's parents sued, and Mendez vs. Westminster ultimately ended segregation in Orange County and turned Mendez into one of the first Latinxs to attend an all-white school.
