Our Founding
In 1972, when the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund began its work, Puerto Ricans had no voice and were almost totally excluded from participating in public life. From the courts to town councils, from boardrooms to classrooms, Puerto Ricans were simply invisible.
Three young attorneys— Jorge Batista, Victor Marrero and Cesar A. Perales—decided to establish an organization that could challenge the nation's barriers and provide Latinos with the legal resources to overcome the obstacles that frustrated their dreams and limited their lives. In 1972, in a non-descript office on Second Avenue, PRLDEF was born.
Education Rights
During the 1970s, non-English speaking students were basically ignored by school officials. There were no school programs for non-English speakers, no bi-lingual classes and very few teachers who could communicate with non-English speakers. Aspira, the youth education and development organization, approached PRLDEF seeking help in forcing the city to educate those Puerto Rican youths who spoke mostly Spanish.
PRLDEF's first lawsuit, Aspira v. New York City Board of Education, resulted in the ground-breaking Aspira Consent Decree which forced the school system to stop ignoring the needs of non-English speaking students and implement bilingual education techniques to effectively instruct these students. The decree also opened the door for many Spanish speaking teachers, who the city was forced to hire to meet the needs of their growing non-English population. PRLDEF successfully built upon this decree and secured this right for Latino children in more places such as the Patchogue-Medford School District and Philadelphia.
Since then, PRLDEF has combated the forced segregation of Latino children in many parts of the country. PRLDEF has successfully intervened in desegregation cases in Wilmington, Delaware; Waterbury, Connecticut; Buffalo, New York; and Boston, Massachusetts. More recently, PRLDEF successfully advocated on behalf of Hartford, Connecticut 's Latino students to ensure that their right to receive an equal education would be protected.
PRLDEF has also been at the forefront of the most recent attacks against the educational aspiration of immigrant students. When the tuition rate was doubled for undocumented students at the City University of New York in 2001, PRLDEF brought a lawsuit challenging this decision. A political victory ensued which allowed students graduating from New York State high schools to be eligible for State tuition rates.
Employment Rights
In 1972, white men dominated New York City 's police force. Today, anyone who walks down the streets of New York cannot help but notice the number of Latinas and Latinos patrolling our neighborhoods. I n two class action suits against the New York City Police Department, PRLDEF was able to get the courts to force the department to institute fair hiring and promotional practices which increased the number of Latino officers and sergeants.
PRLDEF filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board resulting in a $1.075 million settlement on behalf of Latino immigrant employees at a food processing plant.
In 2002, PRLDEF intervened in an EEOC suit against a Connecticut beauty supply company, Beauty Enterprises, for its imposition of an illegal English-only policy against its Latino employees.
Voting Rights
In 1973, as a result of a PRLDEF court victory, for the first time in New York City history bilingual ballots and interpreters – in English, Spanish and Chinese – were provided to parents to vote in the school board elections. The same legal arguments were then used in the landmark voting rights case, Torres v. Sachs, which required the use of bilingual ballots for all New York City elections. Within three years, PRLDEF revolutionized the voting process in six states where most Puerto Ricans lived. In 1975 the federal Voting Rights Act was amended which secured the voting rights of all linguistic minorities throughout the country.
On September 10, 1981, New Yorkers awoke to headlines announcing the court ordered postponement of elections scheduled that day for Mayor and City Council. PRLDEF had successfully challenged the redistricting plan passed by the City Council and signed into law by the Mayor, which had been drawn to preclude additional minority representation on the City Council. Over the past twenty years PRLDEF has continued to successfully attack gerrymandering throughout the Northeast including plans drawn in Pennsylvania , Massachusetts and Rhode Island .
PRLDEF is also recognized for its expertise in demographics by the U.S. Census Bureau. The PRLDEF 2000 campaign, “Mobilizing Against the Undercount,” resulted in one of the most accurate counts of the Latino community, and PRLDEF received a “Hero Award” from the U.S. Congress for its effort.
Housing Rights
More than 30 years ago, PRLDEF sued the New York City Housing Authority proving discrimination against Latin and African-American applicants for apartments in three housing projects in Williamsburg . After years of litigation, the parties agreed to a far-reaching settlement in 2002.
In 1977, PRLDEF filed a class action suit against a Lower East Side co-operative which would not make apartments available to Latinos. Since then, PRLDEF has fought for the rights of tenants in Brooklyn, against housing discrimination in city-owned apartments and for access rights to housing in Newark and Hartford .
From Migrants' to Immigrants' Rights
In 1972, PRLDEF challenged the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for deliberately failing to protect the rights of migrant farm laborers throughout the state. Over 18,000 men and women traveled from Puerto Rico to southern New Jersey to pick fruits and vegetables each year.
More than 30 years later, PRLDEF is protecting the rights of Mexican and Central American day laborers to seek employment in a public area within the Borough of Freehold, New Jersey . Not only has the federal court issued a ruling requiring Freehold to respect the constitutional rights of Latino day laborers but a federal mediator is overseeing negotiations between the local government and a group of day laborers.
PRLDEF is also advocating on behalf of Latinos and other poor immigrants in the post September 11 th redevelopment efforts.
In 2004, PRLDEF challenged New York State 's decision to strip hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers of their driver's license. If left unchallenged, this policy would deny thousands of immigrants the ability to earn a living and support their families. The court ruled in PRLDEF's favor, but the ruling is being appealed. In New Hampshire , the Department of Motor Vehicles forced Puerto Ricans and immigrants to travel to Concord to obtain a driver's license. Working with New Hampshire Legal Services, PRLDEF is fighting to get this discriminatory policy reversed.
Diversifying America 's Legal System
Since the 1970s, PRLDEF has been celebrated for its continuous efforts to increase the diversity of the legal profession by reducing barriers for Latinos and other students of color to successfully matriculate in law school. PRLDEF provides practical hands-on support for students interested, entering or already in law school. PRLDEF's Education Division offers law school admission test (LSAT) prep courses, pre-admission counseling services, workshops, attorney mentoring and internship opportunities. Thousands of attorneys credit PRLDEF for helping them realize their dreams of becoming lawyers. They include prominent civic and corporate leaders such as deputy mayors, judges, corporate counsels and partners in major law firms.
Our advocacy goes beyond law school graduation. PRLDEF's 2002 report, Opening the Courthouse Doors: The Need for More Hispanic-American Judges, is credited with heightening the awareness of dramatic under representation of Latinos in the judiciary. As the leading advocate for Latinos in New York and the Northeast, and known nationally for its work in educating the next generation of Latino lawmakers, PRLDEF is well-positioned to bring attention to the need to cultivate more Latino leaders in professional fields and in decision-making positions. |
