Socorro to celebrate national landmark status for Rio Vista site
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The City of Socorro is celebrating the official National Historic Landmark designation given to the former Rio Vista Bracero Reception Center and the rich history this site has dating back more than a century.
The landmark also recognizes the history of the Bracero Program and the contribution of migrant farm workers.
The celebration event will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at the Rio Vista Community Center, 901 N. Rio Vista Road.
The event will feature the unveiling of what is being billed as the “first-ever landmark plaque in the U.S. with a federal designation in both English and Spanish.”
There will also be food, dancing, entertainment, live music and other activities.
The City of Socorro will be joining with the National Park Service and Latinos in Heritage Conservation to celebrate what is being called the Rio Vista Reception Center National Historic Landmark.
“With its national significance officially recognized, the City of Socorro starts a new chapter in rehabilitating and transforming this landmark’s historic adobe buildings into a vibrant community hub and first national Bracero History Museum,” according to the news release.
The site was established in 1915 as El Paso County’s “Poor Farm” and served multiple purposes over the years including being the host for Great Depression-era programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps, according to an information sheet from the event organizers.
“Today, it stands as a National Historic Landmark, symbolizing the enduring contributions of migrant laborers and offering invaluable historical insights for future generations,” the information sheet states.
This landmark “joins iconic locations like Ellis Island and the Alamo, even as Latino-related sites comprise less than 1% of national landmarks,” the information sheet adds.
The site served as a “key hub for the Bracero Program, which from 1942 to 1964 facilitated over 4.6 million border crossings for Mexican agricultural workers under challenging conditions,” also according to the information sheet. “This site holds deep significance for many U.S. families tracing their ancestry back to these workers.”
Future plans for the site’s 20-plus buildings will be to turn it into a “vibrant community hub, featuring the first Bracero History Museum, a public library and a small business incubator,” according to the event organizers.
The project has received an initial grant of $750,000 from the Mellon Foundation and an additional $1.05 million in congressional funding, according to organizers.
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