Former residents and family members of the Rio Linda Neighborhood will be headed back to their old neighborhood this Saturday, courtesy a reunion to be held at the Chamizal National Memorial.
The free event is scheduled for Saturday, September 22, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Chamizal National Memorial, located at 800 South San Marcial Street. The reunion will take place in the south-central portion of the park closest to the Delta Drive Gate.
“Come one, come all and be part of this historic event!” invites Felipe Peralta, former resident and Reunion Coordinator. “Please help spread the word about this historic event to reunite friends and former neighbors.”
Partners from UTEP’s Institute of Oral History will also be available during the event to record and preserve the memories and stories of those directly affected by the Treaty who are part of our shared history along the border.
Chamizal National Memorial Superintendent F. Gus Sanchez states, “We are happy to support and foster direct connections and reconnections with those who are part of the history this living Memorial commemorates. We are honored to provide them the opportunity to share their stories with us and the countless visitors who come here.”
The former Rio Linda Neighborhood included Eleventh through Thirteenth Streets between Cotton Avenue/Park Street and Rosita Street.
All residents were relocated in the mid-late 1960s by the United States Federal Government in order to create the new, permanent concrete channel for this section of the Rio Grande/Bravo that flows between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez under the terms of the Chamizal Convention (Treaty).
The Treaty was signed by the U.S. and Mexico in August 1963 and ratified in April 1964. The new channel opened in December 1968.
Businesses, residences, and community centers in Chihuahita, Segundo Barrio, and Cordova Gardens neighborhoods were also among those relocated in order to accomplish the diplomatic measures created by Chamizal Convention which finally settled this international boundary dispute that lasted more than a century.
There is no cost to enter the park or for the event. Each family is asked to bring their own picnic food as well as chairs and/or blankets. There are limited covered picnic shelters with grills and tables available.
Park officials remind attendees that no glass containers are allowed on the Memorial grounds at any time and pets must be leashed at all times and their waste picked up for safety.
Schedule of Events
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Set up and Meet & Greet
Record your oral history with UTEP Institute of Oral History in Park Library
12 p.m. Opening Ceremony
Welcome & Blessing by Father Sam Rosales, Sacred Heart Catholic Church of El Paso
Welcome by Chamizal National Memorial Superintendent F. Gus Sanchez
Introduction of Reunion Organizers: Felipe Peralta, Angie Vargas, Robert Morales, Fernie Medina
Guests organized by Rio Linda Streets
Record your oral history with UTEP Institute of Oral History in Park Library
5 p.m. Closing Ceremony & Future Plans
For questions or more information, please contact any of the following: Robert Morales (Viro) at 915-525-5199, Felipe Peralta (Pipi) at 915-613-7675, Fernie Medina at (915) 494-4036, or Angie Vargas (Dominguez) at 915-540-1207. For park questions, please contact [email protected] or by phone at 915-532-7273 x124.
