The Chamizal Community Center and Library

Tatiana Rodriguez
Apr 14
3 min read

By Tatiana Rodriguez

The city of El Paso's MCAD (Museum and Cultural Affairs Department) organizes major public art installations to support and enrich the city's cultural heritage. Jesus "CIMI" Alvarado designed his back-lit mural, "Blurred Boundaries," on the exterior of the Chamizal Community Center and Library with a smaller version of the mural in the multi-purpose area. Alvarado's art piece was unveiled on December 21, 2021, and portrays images of the century-long Chamizal land dispute, and 1964 treaty for which the Chamizal neighborhood gets its name.1 This installation is a testament to El Paso's cultural heritage, serving as a source of pride, and represents dedication to preserving the city's history.

The Chamizal Community Center and Library opened in April 2021, a year after its original planned date, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is located in one of the oldest neighborhoods of El Paso. Chamizal was also named after the chamizo plant, the four-wing saltbush that grew abundantly in the area, land in the floodplain disputed between the U.S. and Mexico. The Chamizal dispute began in 1864 when flooding pushed the Rio Grande south into Ciudad Juárez, formerly known as Paso del Norte. Across the river, El Paso residents were relocated to El Chamizal.

The Chamizal Community Center and Library features several exercise spaces, including an auxiliary gymnasium, cardio weights room, double gymnasium, game space, multi-purpose fitness area, multi-purpose community room, classrooms, and a covered courtyard and covered parking lot, two features unique to El Paso.2

The city of El Paso's Library and Parks and Recreation Department selected Marmon Mok and Exigo Architects to design the community center and library as part of their 2012 Quality of Life bond program. After decades of organizing by residents and advocacy groups, such as La Mujer Obrera and the Chamizal neighborhood association, Familias Unidas del Barrio Chamizal, to resist uneven development is why the community center and library exist today.3 The building of the community space was also funded by Community Development Block Grants.

The Chamizal Project is a reuse of a part of a building that used to be a Levi's denim factory -- what was once one of the largest employers for women in El Paso. The factory closed in April 2002 as part of the company's move to overseas production.

The El Paso Public Library received a $25,000 grant from Levi Strauss & Co. to offer training programs at the Chamizal center, such as citizenship and English language classes, computer skills instruction, job search, and small business startup classes.4 This was not the first time Levi Strauss & Co. supported the creation of citizenship classes in El Paso. A 1987 video from the company's archives shows how employees at Levi Strauss factories taught civics and history classes to prepare El Paso employees to become U.S. citizens. As many as 662 workers became American citizens, the largest group of workers from one company to become American citizens at the same time.5 According to the former El Paso Public Library Director, Mark Pumphrey, the "community center and library ... help invigorate a community that needs more economic and social opportunities for its residents. The grant ... will have a direct impact by providing much needed educational resources for community members".6 Levi Strauss & Co. is committed to supporting migrant communities.