In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, people all around Dallas have celebrated with festivals, exhibitions, and live events that highlight and commemorate the culture and contributions of Hispanic Americans. 

Dallas has certainly developed and changed over its 170 years as a city, but its neighborhoods have retained several of the landmarks so important to its Hispanic community. Three major neighborhoods, in particular, hold both hallmarks of the community’s past and historic sites that continue to thrive today.

Uptown

Before it became known for its high-end housing and cosmopolitan nightlife, the area of Uptown was known as Little Mexico, one of the hearts of the Mexican-American community in Dallas. While much of the neighborhood’s Hispanic heritage has been confined to history, a few remnants of the vibrant community still survive. 

Initially constructed in 1914, Pike Park served the community of Little Mexico. The community center, still partially standing, was built in 1914 and, according to Geoff Montes in a 2014 article for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “[played] host to legendary Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day celebrations, as well as quinceñeras.” The park is a designated historic landmark. 

Roughly a mile away, now nestled amongst luxury housing in the heart of Uptown, the Little Mexico Village Apartments were constructed in 1942 “to replace the neighborhood’s shacks,” says Elvia Limón in a 2019 story on the apartment complex. According to Limón, the complex is still owned by the Dallas Housing Authority. 

West Dallas

Once home to several Mexican-American neighborhoods, West Dallas is rich with Hispanic history.

Initially established in the mid-19th century, the community of Eagle Ford was home to both Mexican-Americans and Anglos, Dallas’ Historic Preservation office wrote in 2019. The area is perhaps most notable for the Eagle Ford School, famously attended by the notorious Bonnie Parker, but also a melting pot for the children of the diverse community in its early days. Although the school had ceased operation and the building fell into disrepair, the structure was restored and granted landmark status in 2019. 

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Also in West Dallas off of Interstate 30 is Campo Santo de Cemento Grande ― translating to “Cemetery of the Big Cement,” referring to the Cement City area that rose up around local cement plants. As detailed by Roberto José Andrade Franco in his 2019 article for D Magazine, the cemetery’s last burial was in the 1940s and it has been looted and vandalized over the years, but its remains still serve as a reminder of the culture around which the community grew. 

Oak Cliff

According to Obed Manuel in his 2019 article for The Dallas Morning News, Oak Cliff first gained a significant Hispanic population in the 1970s:

“As fear of the city’s racial integration grew, it was a steady stream of immigrants — mostly from Mexico — who replaced the white residents [who moved away from Oak Cliff].” 

One of the neighborhood’s most prominent landmarks is Jefferson Boulevard, which has long been a marker of the community’s rich culture. Driving down the street today, it isn’t uncommon to see businesses flying the Mexican flag alongside the Texas and American flags. The businesses that line the road include taquerias, paleterías, and bridal shops advertising quinceañera-style ball gowns in the windows. 

The Hispanic culture of the neighborhood has also been preserved through the Chicano murals that are continuously painted and preserved. Ruben A. Arellano, a professor of history at Dallas College, has cataloged many of the murals painted since the late 1990s in his online database Dallas Chicano Murals. Many were commissioned by the Oak Cliff Coalition for the Arts, which continuously organizes and promotes events to celebrate Mexican holidays including Cinco de Mayo and Día de Muertos.