Public Works Agency
www.santa-ana.org/public-works
Item # 13
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
June 18, 2024
TOPIC: Ceremonial Street Naming of Virginia and William Guzman Way
AGENDA TITLE
Adopt a Resolution Authorizing Ceremonial Street Naming of Virginia and William Guzman Way (General Fund)
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Adopt a resolution authorizing the Ceremonial Street Naming of Virginia and William Guzman Way along Santa Ana Boulevard from Pacific Avenue to Forest Avenue.
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-XXX entitled A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA DIRECTING AND AUTHORIZING A CEREMONIAL
STREET NAME OF VIRGINIA AND WILLIAM GUZMAN WAY ALONG SANTA ANA
BOULEVARD FROM PACIFIC AVENUE TO FOREST AVENUE
2. Direct Staff to install two ceremonial street signs along Santa Ana Boulevard at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Forest Avenue.
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No
DISCUSSION
On August 2, 2022, City Council adopted Ordinance No. NS-3024 and subsequently on June 6, 2023, adopted Ordinance NS-3042, amending the language to restrict the number of signs to two when recognizing the outstanding individuals who have made a significant impact on their communities through the commemorative or honorary naming of streets or intersections.
In accordance with Ordinance NS-3042, Councilmember Hernandez initiated a request to honor Virginia and William Guzman (Guzmans) as their legacy has made a profound and lasting impact on Mexican and Mexican American children in the City of Santa Ana.
Virginia Guzman attended Fremont Elementary, a school designated solely for Mexican students, during a time when educational authorities in Orange County subjected children from diverse background to inadequate learning conditions. As a child, she vividly recalled her principal physically disciplining students for speaking Spanish.
These memories remained fresh in Virginia's mind when her son, Billy, anticipated
Ceremonial Street Naming of Virginia and William Guzman Way June 18, 2024
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attending Fremont Elementary in the mid-1940s. Determined to secure a better education for her child, she approached school officials about transferring him to a superior and predominantly white school. However, her requests were met with refusal.
Undeterred, Virginia and her husband William rallied other parents in an attempt to persuade the Santa Ana School Board to dismantle the segregated school system.
When these efforts proved pointless, the Guzmans pursued legal action, filing their lawsuit against school segregation—an original move preceding similar actions by others. Despite their resolve, the lawsuit did not yield the desired outcome.
Consequently, Virginia pulled her son from public schools, enrolling him in a Catholic institution instead.
The Guzmans, along with four other families, were instrumental in the landmark case against the City of Santa Ana. The case, Mendez et al Westminster et al, unfolded in the mid-1940s and addressed discriminatory practices within the Orange County school system. Specifically, Mexican children were unfairly separated from their white counterparts and were unjustly labeled as intellectually inferior and unclean.
Virginia and William connected with parents in Westminster, El Modena, and Garden Grove and filed Mendez et al v. Westminster School District, which helped to end school segregation in California. The Mendez, et al. v. Westminster School District of Orange County, et al. (1947) case not only set a precedent for later court cases, such as Brown v. Board of Education, but also showcased the Mexican American community's leadership in fighting for their rights and winning.
The Public Works Agency, Traffic Engineering Section spoke with Virginia’s daughter Beverly Gallegos-Guzman where she shared her mother’s continued advocism later in life. After William's passing in 1978, Virginia relocated to Riverside, CA, where she spent the remainder of her life. Even in her later years, she remained an active advocate and demonstrated "her unwavering desire was to assist those in need." Upon settling in Riverside, Virginia became engaged with the Riverside County Office on Aging. She selflessly offered her own funds for gasoline to provide transportation for seniors, ensuring they could run errands and attend medical appointments.
The Ceremonial “Virginia and William Guzman Way” signs (Exhibit 1) are proposed to be installed along Santa Ana Boulvard at the intersection with Pacific Avenue to Forest Street (Exhibit 2).
The ordinance requires a resolution for the approval of the ceremonial sign (Exhibit 3).
Additionally, the ordinance allows for certain requirements, such as notice of application and program fees to be waived by majority vote of the City Council when the request is initiated by a current Council member. Approval of this resolution includes waiving the ceremonial street name installation fees in the amount not to exceed $1,562.
Ceremonial Street Naming of Virginia and William Guzman Way June 18, 2024
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with the action.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total amount of funds needed is based on the option selected by City Council. A total amount not to exceed of $1,562 is needed for the production and installation the two Ceremonial Street signs. Funds are available in Account No. 01104012-62300.
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Ceremonial Street Signs for William and Virginia Guzman
2. Signage Location Map
3. Resolution
Submitted By: Nabil Saba, P.E., Executive Director – Public Works Agency Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, Acting City Manager
Fiscal Year Accounting Unit-
Account No.
Fund
Description
Accounting Unit -
Account Description Amount
2023-24 01104012-62300 General
Fund
City Council Service
Enhanvement,
Contract Services-
Professional
$1,562
Total $1,562