Mendez, born in 1916 in Puerto Rico, is most known for her role in suing the school district in the town of Westminster, California, after her children were refused enrollment at a local public school because of their skin color.
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Mendez married a Mexican immigrant. She and other parents came together demanding the school district allow their Mexican-American children entry into an all-White school.
A federal district court in 1946 ruled that school districts were violating Mexican American citizens' rights, and ruled in favor of Mendez and the other parents.
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The ruling paved the way for the landmark decision, Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled against the segregation of public schools.
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"Thank you, Felicitas Mendez and family, for helping to lead the way toward a more just future," Google said.
The doodle features Mendez, who died in 1998, looking over her shoulder at a school, as children of various ethnicities enter the building.
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15. Last year's Google Doodle honored Mexican-American botanist and explorer Ynés Mexía.
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