Lorenzo A. Ramirez

Lorenzo was known as a leader of leaders in the Mexican community of El Modena, Ca.  He was born on August 10, 1910 (died Feb. 20, 1966), the eldest of five children to Rosario and Santos Ramirez.

• 1917-1923        He attended a seminary school in Guadalajara, Mexico.

 

• 1923              On March14, 1923, Rosario and Santos brought their 5 children and her brother to the United States to be reunited with her father.

 

• 1924              He enrolled in El Modena Lincoln Grammar School to learn to read and write English

 

• 1926              He became a stable boy at the Hewes ranch

 

• 1927              He graduated and made a pledge to make himself available to anyone that needed

 

• 1928              He worked at the McPherson Ranch.

 

• 1930              He led a group of men to help build the original La Purisima Catholic Church.

 

• 1932               He married Josefina Soto in El Modena, CA.

 

• 1935              In June he moved his family to Murphy ranch as a worker, fumigating the orchards and driving tractors.

 

• 1938              He was promoted to foreman of the fieldworkers and continued fumigating and driving the tractors. This year he also led a crew of men to help flood victims from the devastating rain storms that occurred that year.

 

• 1943             He and the Attorney General of Mexico, Mr. Ezequiel Padilla, attended hearings in San Francisco, Ca, to expose the discrimination against the Mexican workers. At the time Lorenzo was employed at Murphy ranch and became involve in the Bracero program, due to the need for workers at the ranch.

 

• 1944           In Nov. when he tried to enroll his sons, Ignacio, Silvino and Jose was told that they would have to go to the Mexican school.

 

• 1945          He filed a law suit against the El Modena School district on behalf of his children (Ignacio, Silvino and Jose) based on the 14^th He became a plaintiff in the landmark case of Mendez et al vs Westminster School District of Orange County et al. His attorney, Mr. David Marcus, was consul to the Mexican Consulate.

 

• 1946         In March 21 Judge McCormick, U.S. Federal district Court in Los Angeles decided that the school districts practice of segregation was illegal and decided for the plaintiffs. An appeal was filed on March 30^th of 1946.

 

• 1947        The 9^th District Court of Appeals upheld the decision of Judge McCormick that the Westminster School District was in violation of the 14^th  One judge decides that the school officials may be criminally prosecuted for violation of civil rights.

 

• 1951       He was the founder of La Logia Progresista No. 43 (Mexican Men’s Society) which had to be sanctioned by the Mexican Government and this was accomplished with the help of Mr. David Marcus.

 

• 1954     Thurgood Marshall used the Mendez et al vs Westminster as a precedent to file the Brown vs the Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas that ended segregation in the United States of America.

 

• 1955            He was elected to serve as President of La Logia Progresista No. 43

 

• 1956             He became a member of the AFL-CIO Local No. 652 in Santa Ana, Ca.

 

• 1957             He elected Vice- President of Local 652 and served until his death in 1966.