The Sleepy Lagoon Case Sleepy Lagoon refers to infamous case that took place in Los Angeles in 1942 when media hysteria and racism led to the round-up of hundreds of Mexican American youth and the subsequent conviction of 12 of the youth for murder in a trial characterized by blatant racism and gross disregard for civil rights. Due to the tireless efforts of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee, including its executive secretary Alice McGrath (then Alice Greenfield), the U.S. District Court of Appeals overturned the convictions in October 1944.

Presenters Include:

Ralph Armbruster Sandoval, UC Santa Barbara, whose work centers around multiracial organizing during WWII and the current war on terrorism

Frank P. Barajas, Cal State University, Camarillo, whose work focuses on the significance of the Sleepy Lagoon case in the history of Chicanos in Southern California

Alice McGrath, a life-long social justice activist and executive secretary of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee (1942–1944)

Sonia Mercado, a civil and constitutional rights attorney whose practice includes issues of fairness in trial and prisoners’ rights.

As in previous eras of U.S. history, fear is being used today as a means to silence people and violate their civil liberties. The “war on terrorism” has given us military tribunals, secret searches, round-ups of non-citizens based on race and religion, and the U.S.A. Patriot Act, among other measures. We are witnessing the deliberate and persistent erosion of the basic rights that protect every citizen and non-citizen in the United States. An examination of our history as a nation tells us that it is critical to speak up as the government encroaches on our rights if we are to stop their continuing erosion. For those who say, “it cannot happen here,” it can and has. By engaging in discussions about the constitutional violations taking place today and their historical precedents, we help to ensure our own freedom and democracy.