Lau V Nichols
Lau V Nichols
Lau V Nichols
Jasmine Vazquez
In San Francisco, 1,800 Chinese students were unable to learn since they were in an all-
English speaking class, with only English language books. It seemed as if the students were
being denied the opportunity to learn in a public school. In general, this was against the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination "on the ground of race, color, or national origin,"
in "any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance," this lead Lau to file a case in
1973 (Thomson Reuters, N/A). In 1974, the Equal Education Opportunities Act was created to
protect those who could not learn due to a language barrier and to prohibit discrimination, thus
requiring schools to take action to overcome the obstacles, which prevent equal protection.
This required schools to offer special language programs to English learners, which is
essential nowadays, where most schools have bilingual students or even students whose first
language is not English. As much as people will like to believe that everyone speaks English, it
is not true, especially when living in a diverse state like Nevada where most students are taught
English. In the 1700's schools did not realize that this was a problem or that there was a language
barrier in the world. After the 1900's, especially after the educational segregation of 1945, it
kick-started many rights to education and schools started to notice all new problems that arise.
The Equal Education Act of 1974 recognized many students from where they come from and the
struggles they have to be accepted and be able to learn and grow in this country.
It was not easy for Lau to win this case; especially once the civil court and court of
appeals denied the petition due to them believing that the language barrier was not related to
school systems. Lau petitioned for certiorari, a request to a higher court, and the United States
Supreme Court granted the petition since it was essential to the public. They relied on Section
601 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which “Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or
national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance,” this led them to
Lau v Nichols 3
their decision. The Supreme Court favored Lau and decided that San Francisco Unified School
District will receive federal financial assistance, to make sure that students of a particular race,
color, or national origin are not denied the same opportunities granted by other students in the
Works Cited
Firelight Media. (N/A, N/A N/A). Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise. Retrieved October 1,
Thomson Reuters. (N/A, N/A N/A). Bilingual Education Cases and Laws. Retrieved September
school/bilingual-education-cases-and-laws.html