James DeAnda facts for kids

James DeAnda (born August 21, 1925 – died September 7, 2006) was an important American lawyer and judge. He worked as a United States district judge. This means he was a judge in a federal court. He is well-known for helping to protect the civil rights of Hispanic people. He played a big part in a famous court case called Hernandez v. Texas.

Early Life and Learning

James DeAnda was born in Houston, Texas. His parents were immigrants from Mexico. He went to Texas A&M University. His studies were paused when he served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He fought in the Pacific region.

After the war, he finished his degree at Texas A&M in 1948. He then earned a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1950.

Starting His Law Career

From 1951 to 1955, James DeAnda worked as a private lawyer in Houston. Then, from 1955 to 1979, he practiced law in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In the early 1950s, he was part of the legal team for the Hernandez v. Texas case. He wrote many of the important legal papers for this case. In the late 1960s, he helped start two important groups. These were the Texas Rural Legal Assistance Organization and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. These groups helped people get legal help.

Becoming a Federal Judge

On February 13, 1979, President Jimmy Carter chose James DeAnda to be a new judge. He was nominated for a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The United States Senate approved his nomination on May 10, 1979. He officially became a judge on May 11, 1979.

He served as the Chief Judge of this court from 1988 until he retired on October 1, 1992. After retiring from the court, he went back to working as a private lawyer in Houston until 2005.

Facing Challenges and Helping Others

Later in his life, James DeAnda said he did not face much unfair treatment during his school years. This might have been because his last name sounded more European and his skin was light.

However, after he graduated from law school, things changed. He had promising job interviews with top law firms. But once they learned his parents were from Mexico, they did not offer him a job.

Because of this, he decided to work with other Mexican-American lawyers in Houston. One of them was John J. Herrera. They worked to help Hispanic people along the Gulf Coast. These people often could not find fair legal help anywhere else. Through this work, he saw firsthand the unfair treatment Mexican-Americans faced every day in the 1950s. He dedicated his career to fighting against this.

Later Life and Passing

James DeAnda passed away on September 7, 2006. He was 81 years old. He died from prostate cancer at his vacation home in Traverse City, Michigan.

See also

• List of Hispanic/Latino American jurists
• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Texas