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Making Americans

Plyler v. Doe and Opening the School Door

Author: Jessica Lander

This standalone e-book tells the story of landmark 1982 Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe and its lasting impact on immigrant students and their right to public education

From award-winning book Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education by Jessica Lander, this e-book chronicles the landmark 1982 Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe—which affirms that all children in the United States, no matter their immigration status, have a right to a public education.

In 1977, the Texas state education code stated that public schools were no longer obligated to educate their community’s undocumented children. In Tyler, Texas, the school board, arguing that the city was on the precipice of becoming “a haven” for undocumented families, voted to charge tuition for every student who could not prove legal residence. Plyler v. Doe was a victory for those—past, present, and future—affected by these unjust policies. This e-book follows key figures from the landmark case:

  • Lídia and José Lopez, parents of undocumented students in Tyler, who alongside other undocumented families, bravely sued the school and eventually brought their case to the Supreme Court.
  • William Wayne Justice, the judge assigned to the case who ruled that Tyler schools could not bar undocumented children.

With a foreword from Gaby Pacheco, a proud Plyler student and President and CEO of TheDream.US, and an afterword from US Representative Jamie Raskin, a champion of the US Constitution and students’ First Amendment rights, this e-book highlights the significance of Plyler v. Doe in a moment when an alarming rise in xenophobic rhetoric and policies is threatening the safety, wellbeing, and success of our country’s immigrant-origin children.

This is an essential history that is vital for every educator to know and that all of us living in the United States should study.
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Making Americans

ISBN: 978-080702494-2
 Publication Date: 10/28/2025
 Size: x
Price:  $2.99
Format: Electronic
Availability: In stock.
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