Hernandez v. Texas: A Great Moment in American History

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Hernandez v. Texas: A Great Moment in American History American Experience

Premiered February 23, 2009

Hernandez v. Texas: A Great Moment in American History

This Supreme Court ruling was a major civil rights achievement.

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Episode Extras

From a small-town Texas murder emerged a landmark civil rights case.

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Preview

A Class Apart Preview

Hear some of the background on this story from the films Director/Producers.

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Behind the Scenes With the Filmmaker

A selection of scenes that were deleted from A Class Apart.

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Deleted Scenes from the Film

Racist attitudes against Mexican-Americans intensified in the 20th Century.

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The Birth and Growth of Racism against Mexican-Americans

The 1954 Supreme Court had little awareness of what life was like for Mexican-Americans.

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A History Lesson for the Supreme Court

How and why did many Mexicans become US citizens in 1848?

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A New Nation for Mexican-Americans

Mexican-Americans sought fair treatment under United States law.

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Are Mexicans White?

In the 1950s life could be difficult for Latinos in the United States.

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Discrimination against Mexican-Americans

This Supreme Court ruling was a major civil rights achievement.

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Hernandez v. Texas: A Great Moment in American History

The lawyers in Hernandez v. Texas argued for their client as well as for themselves.

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Inequality in the Courthouse

Hundreds of thousands of Mexican-Americans fought in the US military in World War II.

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Mexican-Americans in World War II

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About the Program

American Experience

American Experience, TV's most-watched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

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