The Chamizal National Memorial Is Celebrating It’s 50th Anniversary

The Chamizal National Memorial is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and they will be hosting a public program to let you know how you can get involved in some of the Memorial's projects. You can hear oral histories of residents who were directly affected by the Chamizal dispute and settlement.

The Chamizal dispute happened between Mexico and the United States over the border. There were some residents who were displaced after a treaty settling the border dispute was signed in 1963. The U.S. and Mexico argued for over 100 years over the exact drawing of the border boundary. After the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848), the middle of the Rio Grande was deemed the international border, but when a a flood caused a shift in the river, the boundary was changed. Both sides claimed the Chamizal and Cordova Island, and it , was the center of the conflict and both countries claimed the land.

It took until the treaty of 1963 to finally draw a hard and fast border. In 1966, Congress officially established the Chamizal National Memorial. The memorial will be remodeling its museum and adding more projects. If you would like to be a part of those projects, you can call the Chamizal National Memorial at 915-532-7273.