A More Inclusive History of El Paso

Yolanda Chávez Leyva focuses on El Paso—specifically, efforts to ensure that preservation moves toward full and authentic representation, capturing stories that have previously been overlooked. Leyva emphasizes the critical role of public and social historians, engaging with marginalized communities, interpreting history with and for the public, and the value of oral history. She reveals the importance of “ordinary” places—from the barrio to tenements—in telling a complete American story.