The Centro del Obrero Fronterizo (“Border Workers Center”), better known as La Mujer Obrera (“The Working Woman”), is a left-of-center social organization in the Chamizal border neighborhoods of El Paso, Texas. ¹ It promotes Mexican cultural identity and collective action among Mexicans and Mexican-Americans living in the area, while advocating for left-of-center policies on issues such as unionization, immigration, and environmental regulation. ²

Location and History

The Centro del Obrero Fronterizo (“Border Workers Center”), better known as La Mujer Obrera (“The Working Woman”), was founded in 1981 by Mexican and Mexican-American women in El Paso, Texas. Many early members worked in El Paso garment factories that had been the site of a major strike from 1972 to 1974 supported by a national AFL-CIO boycott that resulted in the recognition of a labor union. ^{3 4}

Many of these jobs would later be lost when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) treaty between the United States, Mexico, and Canada made it more cost-effective for garment manufacturers to export Mexican-made garments to the United States than employ unionized workers in El Paso. ⁵

La Mujer Obrera describes itself as being from the “Barrio Chamizal,” which are low-income border neighborhoods in El Paso located in a formerly disputed border area between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, known as “El Chamizal.” ^{6 7} The neighborhoods are located next to the Bridge of the Americas to Ciudad Juarez, one of the busiest border crossings in the country. ⁸

The Chamizal area was the subject of a largely peaceful border dispute between the United States and Mexico between 1882 and 1961 centered on the shifting channel of the Rio Grande river between the two nations. ⁹ When the dispute was resolved under the presidential administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, more than 5,600 mostly working-class people of Mexican heritage were relocated and 1,386 existing homes and businesses were destroyed or moved by the U.S. government as the border shifted. ¹⁰

In 2019, then-Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, who had previously represented part of the Chamizal area as an El Paso city councilman, announced his campaign’s immigration proposals at the El Chamizal National Memorial that commemorates the border dispute’s peaceful settlement. ^{11 12}

Activities and Initiatives

La Mujer Obrera operates a variety of grassroots community initiatives in El Paso’s low-income border neighborhoods, including a community farm, child-care services, a restaurant, a retail establishment for home-crafted goods, an arts center, and a small museum. ¹³

In 2019, La Mujer Obrera received a $10,000 grant from the ACLU Foundation of Texas for “voter engagement.” ¹⁴ It is part of the ACLU of Texas-backed El Paso Equal Voice Network that distributed a deck of playing cards for the Mexican “lotería” bingo-style game ahead of the 2020 election encouraging locals to vote in the election. ¹⁵

Immigration

La Mujer Obrera opposes United States’ immigration policies and supports left-of-center immigration policies that would make it easier for workers, immigrants, and asylum seekers to enter the country. ^{16 17}

It supports efforts by American labor unions to organize immigrant workers in Texas. ^{18 19} In 2019, La Mujer Obrera hosted a group of national labor union leaders who visited the border to express opposition to restrictionist Trump administration immigration policies and express their desire to bring more immigrants from Central and South America into organized labor unions. ²⁰

La Mujer Obrera is part of coalitions opposing efforts by Texas to use state law enforcement and National Guard resources to protect its border with Mexico from illegal crossings. ²¹

Bridge of the Americas

La Mujer Obrera runs the “Familias Unidas del Chamizal,” which opposes expansion of the Bridge of the Americas between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez because of concerns over traffic and pollution. ^{22 23} In its communications it regularly refers to the bridge by its colloquial Mexican nickname of “El Puente Libre,” or “The Free Bridge.” ²⁴

One representative of the organization told a local television station that the bridge “belongs to the families from El Paso and Juarez, and not to commerce.” ²⁵

Funding

The Centro del Obrero Fronterizo/La Mujer Obrera receives funding from a variety of major left-of-center foundations and individual donors. These include the Ford Foundation, ²⁶ Institute for Sustainable Communities, ²⁷ National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, ²⁸ Marguerite Casey Foundation, ²⁹ Rudolf Steiner Foundation, ³⁰ Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, ³¹ and the Tides Foundation. ³²

The organization has also received government grant funding, including a $500,000 grant in 2022 from the Environmental Protection Agency to monitor air pollution in the Chamizal neighborhoods. ³³

1. La Mujer Obrera. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.mujerobrera.org/.
2. La Mujer Obrera. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.mujerobrera.org/.
3. Senters, Kristyn. “La Mujer Obrera.” Texas Women’s Foundation, September 4, 2020. https://txwf.org/la-mujer-obrera/.
4. Coyle, Laurie, Gail Hershatter, and Emily Honig. “Farah Strike.” Texas State Historical Association, January 1, 1995. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/farah-strike.
5. Andrade, Lorena, Sandra Enriquez, and David Robles. “Oral History Interview with Lorena Andrade, July 17, 2015.” The Portal to Texas History, August 8, 2018. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1040195/.
6. La Mujer Obrera. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.mujerobrera.org/.
7. Gregory, Gladys, and Sheldon B. Liss. “Chamizal Dispute.” Texas State Historical Association, 1976. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/chamizal-dispute.
8.  “Chamizal Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy.” City of El Paso, January 2008. https://www.elpasotexas.gov/assets/Documents/CoEP/Community-Development/Neighborhood-Associations/Neighborhood-Revitalization/CHAMIZAL-NRS.pdf.
9. Gregory, Gladys, and Sheldon B. Liss. “Chamizal Dispute.” Texas State Historical Association, 1976. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/chamizal-dispute.
10.  Gregory, Gladys, and Sheldon B. Liss. “Chamizal Dispute.” Texas State Historical Association, 1976. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/chamizal-dispute.
11. ^[1] Borunda, Daniel. “2020 Election: Democratic Candidate Beto O’Rourke Unveils Sweeping Immigration Reform Plan.” El Paso Times, May 29, 2019. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/05/29/2020-election-democratic-candidate-beto-orourke-immigration-plan-unveiled/1260462001/.
12. “Chamizal National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.nps.gov/cham/index.htm.
13. La Mujer Obrera. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.mujerobrera.org/.
14. “2019 Form 990 for ACLU Foundation of Texas.” ACLU Foundation of Texas, February 19, 2021. https://www.aclutx.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/2019_form_990_for_aclu_foundation_of_texas_inc.pdf.
15. Diaz, Anahy. “El Paso-Themed Lotería Game Encourages the City to Vote.” The Prospector, October 19, 2020. https://www.theprospectordaily.com/2020/10/19/el-paso-themed-loteria-game-encourages-the-city-to-vote/.
16. ^[1] Allen, Paula. “Artists & Activists Rise at the El Paso Border Calling for an End to Inhumane Immigration Policies and Camps.” One Billion Rising, July 2019. https://www.onebillionrising.org/44856/artists-activists-rise-at-artistic-uprising-el-paso-border-calling-for-an-end-to-inhumane-immigration-policies-and-camps/.
17. Andrade, Lorena, Sandra Enriquez, and David Robles. “Oral History Interview with Lorena Andrade, July 17, 2015.” The Portal to Texas History, August 8, 2018. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1040195/.
18. Resendiz, Julian. “Leaders of Organized Labor Reject White House Immigration Policies.” KTSM 9 News, October 30, 2019. https://www.ktsm.com/news/leaders-of-organized-labor-reject-white-house-immigration-policies/.
19. Andrade, Lorena, Sandra Enriquez, and David Robles. “Oral History Interview with Lorena Andrade, July 17, 2015.” The Portal to Texas History, August 8, 2018. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1040195/.
20. Resendiz, Julian. “Leaders of Organized Labor Reject White House Immigration Policies.” KTSM 9 News, October 30, 2019. https://www.ktsm.com/news/leaders-of-organized-labor-reject-white-house-immigration-policies/.
21. Gonzalez, Ramiro. “We Will Resist: Lupe Mobilizes with over 40 Organizations in Austin Demanding the Repeal of SB 4 and Operation Lone Star.” LUPE, March 8, 2024. https://lupenet.org/2024/03/08/we-will-resist-lupe-mobilizes-with-over-40-organizations-in-austin-demanding-the-repeal-of-sb-4-and-operation-lone-star/.
22. La Mujer Obrera. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.mujerobrera.org/.
23. Olague, Ruben. “Chamizal Neighborhood Families Protest Bota Improvements.” KTSM 9 News, June 6, 2023. https://www.ktsm.com/local/families-from-el-chamizal-community-meeting-today/.
24. “Vantage Point: International Bridge (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.nps.gov/places/vantage-bridge.htm.
25. Olague, Ruben. “Chamizal Neighborhood Families Protest Bota Improvements.” KTSM 9 News, June 6, 2023. https://www.ktsm.com/local/families-from-el-chamizal-community-meeting-today/.
26. ^[1] “102814 – Centro Del Obrero Fronterizo, Inc..” Ford Foundation, November 28, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/centro-del-obrero-fronterizo-inc-102814/.
27.  “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax – Institute for Sustainable Communities.” Sustain.org, April 8, 2020. https://sustain.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ISC-2019-09-Tax-990-Public-Disclosure-Copy.pdf.
28. “Centro Del Obrero Fronterizo (La Mujer Obrera).” NALAC, June 10, 2019. https://www.nalac.org/members/3302-centro-del-obrero-fronterizo-la-mujer-obrera/.
29. “Centro Del Obrero Fronterizo Dba La Mujer Obrera.” Marguerite Casey Foundation. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.caseygrants.org/grant-recipient-directory/la-mujer-obrera.
30. “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax – Rudolf Steiner Foundation.” RSF Social Finance, November 11, 2021. https://rsfsocialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/RSF-2020-990-Client-Copy.pdf.
31. “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax – Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc.” SaveOurPlanet.org, November 2023. https://saveourplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/SEE-Form-990-FY-2016.pdf.
32. “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax – Tides Foundation.” Tides Foundation, February 13, 2024. https://www.tides.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2022_Tides-Foundation_Amended-Form-990-Public-Disclosure.pdf
33. ^[1] Saurman, Alex. “$53 Million Announced for Air Pollution Monitoring across 37 States.” Environmental Protection, November 10, 2022. https://eponline.com/articles/2022/11/10/air-pollution-monitoring.aspx.