Rio Vista Bracero Reception Center named National Historic Landmark; Socorro unveils bilingual plaque

Socorro City unveiled a bilingual plaque marking the National Historic Landmark designation of the former Rio Vista Bracero Reception Center, city officials and heritage groups said. The plaque, presented at a community event, is the first federal-designation plaque in the United States issued in both English and Spanish.

A presenter involved in the site's nomination said the Rio Vista designation came through the American Latino Heritage Theme Study, a National Park Service framework that identifies properties representing Latino history across roughly two centuries. The presenter said Rio Vista is among the study's early nominations and is significant to the local community.

A city spokesperson said Socorro, working with the National Park Service and Latinos in Heritage Conservation, is close to plans to revitalize the historic site into a community hub and the future home of a Bracero History Museum. The spokesperson described the Bracero Program as the largest foreign-worker initiative in United States history and said the designation honors that history.

City and heritage speakers emphasized the bilingual plaque as recognition intended to reflect the community's language and history. No timeline for the site's renovation or the museum opening was provided at the event.