Wayside: Nuestra Herencia

Interpretive wayside panel located in front of the Nuestra Herencia mural

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

Along the north edge of the esplanade that leads from the parking lot to the front of the Cultural Center

Significance:

Interpretive wayside exhibit

Amenities

5 listed

Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Pets Allowed, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible

An interpretive panel at this wayside introduces the large, painted mural titled Nuestra Herencia, which can be seen from the road when entering the park and is located along the esplanade leading to the park visitor center. Learn about the symbols and meaning in the various panels and see how the mural has been updated in our Nuestra Herencia article.

Interpretive Panel Text

The "Nuestra Herencia: Our Shared Heritage" wayside panel presents text in both English and Spanish.

Honoring what each culture contributes to humanity.

Chamizal National Memorial is a park built on diplomacy. Established to commemorate the diplomatic settlement of a long-standing boundary dispute between the United States and Mexico, this memorial reminds us that we should try to settle our differences with mutual respect and understanding. In the images of master muralist Carlos Flores, we see diversity in the palette of a common heritage that brings this border community together.

The 18- by 120-foot painting is one of a series of major murals located throughout El Paso that were funded by the Junior League of El Paso. Nuestra Herencia was painted by Carlos Flores in 1992 and touched up in 1997. Chamizal National Memorial commissioned a restoration in 2014, which was completed in 2016 for its 50th anniversary and the National Park Service Centennial.

Background Photo Caption

Behind the panel text is a portion of an image showing a man in sunglasses outlining a large eagle head on a wall. The image is captioned, "Carlos Flores, 1992." He is quoted saying in 1993, "I love murals because they are the most public art. It belongs to the people.”

Detail Photo Caption

A small image of a man in a sleveless shirt and straw hat is seated near the top of the panel in such a way that he appears to be painting the writing on the panel. The image is captioned, "Flores’ son, Marcos, helps his father with the 2014 restoration."