
2025 ENDANGERED LATINX LANDMARKS
Year Built:
Elgin, Texas
Elgin Mexican Cemetery
1915

The Elgin Mexican Cemetery, established in the early 20th century in Elgin, Texas, is a historic burial ground created during an era of segregation. Home to nearly 115 graves—including veterans of World War I and possibly the Spanish-American War—the cemetery preserves handmade markers that embody Mexican folk traditions and cultural heritage. In 2023, the Texas Historical Commission designated it as a state Historical Texas Cemetery. Despite this recognition, it continues to face decades of neglect and persistent flood control challenges. Today, preservation efforts depend almost entirely on local community members, highlighting the urgent need for broader support to protect these irreplaceable sites.
"Nominating the Elgin Mexican Cemetery is recognizing the cultural and historical significance of an important place that helps define a community's identity. (...) we retain a connection to the individuals that played an important place in the history of the Mexican American community in Elgin."
— Juan J Gonzalez, President, Elgin Latin Cemetery Association

The Abuelas
Project
The Abuelas Project collects, curates, and amplifies stories of important Latinx movements, sites, and people across the country.
This GIS project encourages intergenerational storytelling through Storymaps that focus on Braceros, abandoned Mexican cemeteries, Route 66, and more.

Latinx Preservation Toolkit
The Toolkit is a bilingual booklet that empowers Latinx communities by demystifying historic preservation. The Texas Toolkit highlights four Latinx heritage success stories across the state, defines preservation terms, and provides guidance on how students, community members, and youth can preserve their communities.
Our next Toolkit will feature diverse stories across the borderlands.

Nuestra Herencia
Grant Program
We launched Nuestra Herencia Grant Program in 2024, providing $600,000 annually for Latinx heritage and historic preservation projects. This funding initiative focuses on empowering grassroots, Latinx-centered nonprofits.
It is supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, in partnership with the Social Impact Fund, which has contributed $1.8 million over three years.