A Wound Too Deep To Show: A Preliminary Study of the Legacy of Falcon International Dam, 1953-2023
Date
2023
Authors
Vaverek, Margaret A.
Flores, Lorin M.
Flores, Beatriz Izaguirre
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South Texas Historical Association
Abstract
This study details the impacts upon the people of Zapata County, Texas when Falcon International Dam was built. The Dam was a joint project of Mexico and the U.S. to harness the waters of the Rio Grande in the early 1950s. This work brings to light the struggles of the people in Zapata County and their fight for justice as their ancestral lands and homes were seized by the United States government with little compensation. They were forced to move and start new lives away from the river which had been the source of their livelihood for generations. This work also looks at the next generation “the children of Falcon Dam” as they continue to be impacted by the events surrounding the building of Falcon Dam- now 70 years later.
Description
Keywords
Falcon Dam, displacement, Hispanic Americans, Falcon, Texas, Zapata, Texas, Zapata County, Texas, Cuellar family, Izaguirre family, International Boundery and Water Commission, property values, compensation, cemetery relocation, Spanish land grants, condemnation proceedings
Citation
Vaverek, Margaret A., Flores, Lorin M, Flores, Beatriz Izaguirre. A Wound Too Deep To Show: A Preliminary Study of the Legacy of Falcon International Dam, 1953-2023. Jounal of South Texas, Fall, 2023. Kingsville, TX.: College of Arts & Sciences, Texas A&M. pages 45-65.