Salvador Roldan (dates unknown)
b. Luzon, Philippines
Roldan v. Los Angeles (1933)
Do You Know? Since 1880, California's anti-miscegenation laws barred people of color from marrying white people.
What: Roldan was denied a marriage license to wed his white British fiancee.
Decision: The California appellate court ruled against Roldan because he was a Filipino who belonged to the "Mongolian race" and therefore could not marry a white woman. The Supreme Court of California would not review the case.
Today: In 1967, the US Supreme Court ruled that anti-miscegenation laws across the United States were unconstitutional.
(Drawing by Eunice Kim, SFSU 2020)