Mamie Tape was only eight years old when she broke barriers in history. Source: Jack Kim (BAHA)

Mary Tape was aware of the Chinese Exlclusion Act, however since her children were born in America that gave them the same rights as every legal American Citizen. This was the driving force behind the anger towards the Spring Valley School district. Before going to court Mary wrote a letter to the San Fransico School Board and stated, "Is it a disgrace to be Born a Chinese?" The soul reason that Mamie Tape was denied entrance was simply because of her ethnicity. During the court case Mary introduced the Fourteenth Ammendment which states that,"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizen of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizes of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." This amendment proves the point that the Spring Valley School district had no right to discriminate Mamie in their school.