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American Experience

A Class Apart Preview

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

Aired 03/20/2011 | Rating NR

American Experience

A Class Apart Preview

Preview: Season 21 Episode 4 | 30s

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

From a small-town Texas murder emerged a landmark civil rights case. The little-known story of the Mexican American lawyers who took Hernandez v. Texas to the Supreme Court, challenging Jim Crow-style discrimination.

Aired 03/20/2011 | Rating NR

Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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Behind the Scenes With the Filmmaker

Hear some of the background on this story from the films Director/Producers. (8m 57s)

Deleted Scenes from the Film

A selection of scenes that were deleted from A Class Apart. (9m 34s)

Are Mexicans White?

Video has Closed Captions

Mexican-Americans sought fair treatment under United States law. (1m 40s)

The Birth and Growth of Racism against Mexican-Americans

Video has Closed Captions

Racist attitudes against Mexican-Americans intensified in the 20th Century. (1m 44s)

Discrimination against Mexican-Americans

Video has Closed Captions

In the 1950s life could be difficult for Latinos in the United States. (47s)

Hernandez v. Texas: A Great Moment in American History

Video has Closed Captions

This Supreme Court ruling was a major civil rights achievement. (45s)

A History Lesson for the Supreme Court

Video has Closed Captions

The 1954 Supreme Court had little awareness of what life was like for Mexican-Americans. (2m 7s)

Inequality in the Courthouse

Video has Closed Captions

The lawyers in Hernandez v. Texas argued for their client as well as for themselves. (53s)

Mexican-Americans in World War II

Video has Closed Captions

Hundreds of thousands of Mexican-Americans fought in the US military in World War II. (1m 29s)

A New Nation for Mexican-Americans

Video has Closed Captions

How and why did many Mexicans become US citizens in 1848? (43s)

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Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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