Rep. Vargas Continues Efforts to Designate Chicano Park as a National Historic Landmark
Washington, D.C. (January 4, 2017) —Yesterday, Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51) reintroduced the Chicano Park Preservation Act (H.R. 199) in the U.S. House of Representatives, continuing the efforts to designate Chicano Park as a National Historic Landmark.
“Chicano Park is a center of cultural history in San Diego and we should continue to advocate for it,” said Rep. Vargas. “The story of Chicano Park is important to the people of our community. It highlights years of community accomplishments through activism and it deserves to be preserved for years to come.”
The Chicano Park Preservation Act passed in the House last December, but the bill was not considered by the U.S. Senate before the conclusion of the 114th Congress. This bill instructs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a thorough study of Chicano Park in order to evaluate its national significance and determine the feasibility of the park becoming a National Historic Landmark.
The park is located under the San Diego-Coronado Bridge in historic Barrio Logan, a San Diego community with a heavy population of Mexican Americans. It is adorned with murals, sculptures, and beautiful landscaping. In 1980, the park was designated as an official historic site by the San Diego Historical Site Board. In 2013, Chicano Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its association with the local Chicano civil rights movement in San Diego.
Vargas represents California’s 51st Congressional District which includes the southern portion of San Diego County, all of Imperial County and California’s entire U.S./Mexico border. Vargas was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and is currently serving his third term in Congress. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the Committee on House Administration.
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