Which case, decided in 1954, extended protection against discrimination to Hispanics?

Which case, decided in 1954, extended protection against discrimination to Hispanics?

• A. Brown v. Board of Education
• B. Hernandez v. Texas
• C. Mapp v. Ohio
• D. Engel v. Vitale

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment covers national-origin groups, not just racial groups, and that governments can’t exclude a whole class of people from civic processes. In Hernandez v. Texas, the Supreme Court held that Mexican-Americans constitute a protected class under the Equal Protection Clause. Texas had kept Mexican-Americans off juries in murder cases, resulting in an all-white jury pool and a conviction based on that jury. The Court ruled that discriminating against a group because of their ethnicity is unconstitutional and that juries must be drawn from a representative cross-section of the community, which includes Hispanics. By recognizing Mexican-Americans as a class entitled to equal protection, the decision broadened constitutional protection to Hispanics beyond what had previously been recognized. This case is distinct from the other listed decisions—one addressing racial segregation in schools, another about unlawful searches, and another about school-sponsored prayer—each dealing with different constitutional issues, whereas Hernandez v. Texas directly extends protection to Hispanics.

The main idea is that equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment covers national-origin groups, not just racial groups, and that governments can’t exclude a whole class of people from civic processes. In Hernandez v. Texas, the Supreme Court held that Mexican-Americans constitute a protected class under the Equal Protection Clause. Texas had kept Mexican-Americans off juries in murder cases, resulting in an all-white jury pool and a conviction based on that jury. The Court ruled that discriminating against a group because of their ethnicity is unconstitutional and that juries must be drawn from a representative cross-section of the community, which includes Hispanics. By recognizing Mexican-Americans as a class entitled to equal protection, the decision broadened constitutional protection to Hispanics beyond what had previously been recognized. This case is distinct from the other listed decisions—one addressing racial segregation in schools, another about unlawful searches, and another about school-sponsored prayer—each dealing with different constitutional issues, whereas Hernandez v. Texas directly extends protection to Hispanics.