El Paso County unveiled an official historical marker honoring the life and legacy of Elvira Villa Escajeda, a civic leader and founder of the Chamizal Civic Association whose advocacy helped residents displaced by the 1964 Chamizal Treaty.
Escajeda became a leading voice for families forced to leave their homes after the treaty, organizing neighbors and working with elected officials to negotiate fair-market compensation and reimbursement for moving expenses.
Historians, elected officials, former Chamizal residents, and members of the Escajeda family attended the unveiling ceremony for the historical marker on Saturday, July 18, at Paseo de los Héroes Park at the intersection of Park Street and Olivas V. Aoy Avenue in the Segundo Barrio.
Escajeda’s story represents a larger history of working-class residents advocating for themselves during one of the most significant land disputes in the El Paso-Juárez Borderland, said Alana de Hinojosa, an assistant professor of history at Texas State University who spoke at the ceremony.
De Hinojosa spent years researching the Chamizal Dispute and documenting the experiences of families affected by the 1964 treaty. Through her work, including her research project “Remapping El Chamizal,” de Hinojosa has highlighted the stories of residents who fought to preserve their homes, dignity and place in El Paso’s history.
“She mobilized her family and her neighbors and the other communities that were impacted by the Chamizal Treaty to fight back, to renegotiate the terms of their displacement and to have a seat at the negotiation table,” de Hinojosa said.
“It just felt like this was such an untold story, but such a huge story, especially for the spirit of the barrio,” de Hinojosa said. “Four years later, working very closely with community members, we were able to make this (historic marker) a possibility.”
Elvira Villa Escajeda honored by U.S., Mexico presidents
Escajeda, who lived from 1920 to 2022, was an El Paso civic leader, community advocate and founder of the Chamizal Civic Association, where she was a leading voice for the more than 5,600 residents displaced by the 1964 Chamizal Treaty.
The Chamizal Treaty was the peaceful settlement of a 100-year land dispute between the U.S. and Mexico over after the Rio Grande shifted between El Paso and Juárez.
Escajeda organized community meetings, traveled to Washington, D.C., and corresponded with Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson and other officials on behalf of displaced families, the El Paso County Historical Commission stated.
On Sept. 25, 1964, Escajeda attended the binational Chamizal Treaty ceremony in El Paso as a special guest of Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos and U.S. President Johnson later presented her with a medal on behalf of the U.S. government, the historical commission stated.
‘A fair and just deal’
Escajeda’s niece, Linda Villa Diaz, said her aunt’s determination to protect her family motivated her advocacy during one of the most significant chapters in El Paso’s history.
“She wanted to make sure that she and her family and those in the neighborhood would get a fair and just deal by the U.S. government,” Villa Diaz said.
Villa Diaz assured her aunt’s courage and persistence continue to inspire future generations.
“She was such a feisty, independent woman that nothing was going to stop her from getting justice,” Villa Diaz said. “To know that she is honored this way for future generations to be able to know and learn about what she did, it’s just amazing.”
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: ‘A fair and just deal.’ Chamizal leader Elvira Villa Escajeda honored
Reporting by Diego Cruz-Castruita, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Diego Cruz-Castruita, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
