9 parks and historic sites that honor and preserve stories of Latino/a/x experiences

Parks and monuments in the United States are powerful tools to showcase the nation's diversity and share stories about our history. However, less than a quarter of national park and monuments and less than eight percent of historical landmarks are dedicated to Latinos/as/x and other underrepresented groups. Many of the existing monuments and parks focus on Spanish colonial history, leaving out the full variety of the Latino/a/x experience.

Latinos/as/x make up 19 percent of the country's population and have made significant contributions to the cultural, social and economic fabric of the nation.

Our parks and monuments should recognize their achievements, celebrate their role in shaping society and address the ongoing impacts of colonization and displacement on these communities. 

Here are some remarkable parks and historic sites (some of which are pretty new!) that preserve and share the stories of Latinos/as/x in the United States. 

Established by President Biden in 2023, Castner Range National Monument in El Paso, Texas, protects nearly 7,000 acres of land on what was once a U.S. Army firing range.  

For decades, nearby communities, many Latinx and Indigenous, had been advocating to permanently protect the beloved area – since they have relatively little available green space (according to Rep. Veronica Escobar, El Paso residents have less than 1/1000th as much green space per capita as people in Houston). Castner Range also safeguards the Hueco Bolson aquifer, a crucial source of clean drinking water for the region and preserves migration corridors for mountain lions and other wildlife. 

Castner Range also hosts significant cultural sites documenting the history of Tribal Nations, including the Apache, Pueblo peoples, Comanche Nation, Hopi Tribe, and Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma. 

On October 17, 2022, President Biden designated the Blackwell School site in Marfa, Texas, as part of the National Park System. Built in 1909, the Blackwell School was originally established as a segregated school for the area’s Hispanic community, during the period of de facto segregation spanning from 1889 to 1965. originally called the Ward or Mexican School, it serves as a poignant reminder of the "separate but equal" doctrine that profoundly influenced American education and society, even beyond the 1965 integration of the Marfa Independent School District.  

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California is full of rich heritage and innumerable contributions of Latino/a/x communities. With more than 30 historic sites, the park chronicles San Francisco's history, from Indigenous and Native American roots to Spanish colonialism, the Mexican Republic, the California Gold Rush and urban development. 

The park preserves stories like that of Doña Juana Briones, a ranchera, medical practitioner and entrepreneur who was one of the first settlers of Yerba Buena, before it became San Francisco. There was also Jose Sarria, a political activist and drag performer who paved the way for other gay candidates after being raised by a single mother from Colombia. Latinos/as/x in the area continue to shape San Francisco’s history, from park rangers to visitors.  

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the United States, encompassing Malibu beaches, arid hills and historic farmlands. The park tells the story of many events that shaped the region’s rich heritage, including the forced assimilation of the Tongva people, European colonization and the rise of Mexican ranchers. 

Hispanic heritage in this region has roots dating back to the 1700s when Spaniards embarked on efforts to convert Indigenous peoples to Christianity. At the same time, the Spanish Government in Mexico offered land grants in Alta California, leading to the establishment of "ranchos" where livestock was raised and crops were cultivated. 

Following California's integration into the United States in 1848, many Mexican ranchers and homesteaders relocated from the area. But later, the Homestead Act of 1862 triggered a fresh wave of immigration, drawing people from Mexico and other regions to the Santa Monica Mountains. 

Tumacácori National Historical Park's history spans centuries, from Indigenous peoples to Spanish explorers. The park sits in the Santa Cruz River valley, in Arizona. That’s where the O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people crossed paths with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers, sometimes in conflict and sometimes in cooperation. The name Tumacácori is thought to come from the O’odham people’s name for the land, perhaps meaning "slanting rocks" or "place where the wild chiles are gathered." 

Today, the park includes the ruins of three Spanish mission communities, a restored church and a museum. The park hosts many cultural demonstrations, from tortilla-making to O'odham basket-weaving. And every year it also hosts La Fiesta de Tumacácori, a celebration of the cultures which have lived in and influenced the region. 

The Blackstone River Valley, nestled between Rhode Island and Massachusetts and considered the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, witnessed waves of immigration that shaped its culture.  

During the 1800s, large mills were constructed, which led hundreds of people from Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Poland and Latin America to flock here in search of work. In the 1970s, more people, especially from the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Guatemala, came to work.  

People are still arriving in the Blackstone Valley, especially from Central and South America and Southeast Asia. Throughout the decades these people have brought their own cultural practices and heritage, enriching the culture of area. 

Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts is another site that preserves the legacy of the Industrial Revolution and its multicultural history. Lowell was one of the main centers of textile production in the country, and for decades, it became a destination for immigrants and refugees.  

Lowell is a multicultural city. Like in the Blackstone River Valley, there were several waves of migrants coming into Lowell—even after the last two textile firms shut down in the 1950s. Migrants and refugees from Latin America have resettled in the city especially during the 1990s, mostly coming from Brazil, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. 

The park just opened an exhibit titled "One City, Many Cultures," in collaboration with the community, that showcases the city's multicultural history. 

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, established by the Spanish in 1598, served as a vital trade route connecting Mexico City to New Mexico. This historic trail, based on Indigenous trade routes, facilitated the exchange of goods, foods, culture and ideas between Mexico and the American Southwest, shaping the region's identity. 

The 404-mile U.S. section of the trail, starting in El Paso, Texas, and ending in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, New Mexico, continues to break down cultural barriers and enhance the lives of those residing along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.