Las Milpas (Spanish: "The

cornfield Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

s") is a community in the City of Pharr, in central Hidalgo County, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. It was previously an unincorporated area. Las Milpas, a colonia, is located off of

U.S. Highway 281 U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway. At it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route. The highway's northern terminus is at the International Peace Garden, north of Dunseith, North Dakota, at t ...

, south of the city center of Pharr,LAS MILPAS, TX
"

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

. Retrieved on September 27, 2013. and between

McAllen McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the 22nd-most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexico–United States border. The city limits extend ...

and the United States-Mexico border.

History

Las Milpas was established in the 1960s as many colonias were. In 1962 it had multiple dwellings, platted streets, and a church. By 1976 the community had 77 dwellings and about 424 residents. In a period before 1987 the larger community had almost 5,000 residents. The community received media coverage that used it as an example of the lifestyles of residents in American colonias during the mid-to-late 1980s. In 1987 the City of Pharr annexed the community. Some residents of Las Milpas opposed the annexation. On Saturday December 19, 1987, the City of Pharr annexed the final of Las Milpas. In 1990 Las Milpas and Hidalgo Park, another colonia, had a combined population of 4,178. By 1995 the community had 12,000 residents. Chris Kelley of '' The Dallas Morning News'' wrote that year that Las Milpas "helps make the case that Pharr is the most distressed city in America." Lynn Brezosky of the '' Associated Press'' wrote that Las Milpas and Pueblo de Palmas, around 1997, "were Calcutta on the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

, poverty-stricken places that became filthy, stinking, disease-ridden expanses awash in mud and sewage whenever it rained heavily."Brezosky, Lynn.
Shantytowns transform themselves
" '' Associated Press'' at the '' USA Today''. June 11, 2007. Retrieved on September 26, 2013. By 2007 the community grew to over 17,000 residents and many illegal immigrants in the community became U.S. citizens and began applying political pressure to the federal and state governments to get aid for the community. Brezosky wrote that Las Palmas's "transformation into a proud, largely well-tended community" was "an immigrant success story."

Demographics

the area poverty rate was 62.1% and 40% of the inhabitants did not receive a high school diploma.2016-2017 Texas 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Cycle 9, Year 1
" Texas Education Agency. p. 5/46. Retrieved on March 12, 2017. p. 5 of 46. "Majority of the district's residents live in "colonias", ..ne of the colonias highlighted in this report, Las Milpas, ..tudents who live in the colonias attend J.C. Kelly Elementary and Hidalgo Park, ..

Education

The

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District is a public school district based in Pharr, Texas (U.S.) in the Rio Grande Valley. The district serves Pharr, San Juan, and Alamo as well as a small portion of McAllen. PSJA ISD's total studen ...

operates public schools. The South Pharr Elementary School was scheduled to open on September 3, 2007, after the start of the school year on August 27. In early 2013 it was renamed Carmen Anaya Elementary School after the co-founder of the Valley Interfaith organization. Persons zoned to Anaya are also zoned to Jaime Escalante Middle School and

PJSA Southwest Early College High School Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) Southwest High School is a public school in Pharr, Texas (United States). It is part of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District and is one of the district's six high schools. Student demographics As of t ...

.PSJA ISD High School Map
"

. Retrieved on March 12, 2017. Many children who reside in the Las Milpas area also attend schools in the

Hidalgo Independent School District The Hidalgo Independent School District is a public school district based in Hidalgo, Texas, United States. The district serves most of Hidalgo and the city of Granjeno as well as small portions of McAllen, Pharr (including sections of Las Milp ...

. J. C. Kelly Elementary School serves sections of Las Milpas in Hidalgo ISD.Hidalgo ISD School Map

. Retrieved on March 12, 2017. All residents of Hidalgo ISD are zoned to Ida Diaz Jr. High School and

Hidalgo Early College High School Hidalgo Early College High School (HECHS), formerly Hidalgo High School, is a public high school in Hidalgo, Texas. It is the only high school in the Hidalgo Independent School District. As of 2007, the school had 810 students. The school was the ...

. Some children attend school in the Valley View Independent School District.SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Hidalgo County, TX
"

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. Retrieved on January 2, 2017. In addition,

South Texas Independent School District South Texas Independent School District (STISD) is a magnet school district headquartered in Mercedes, Texas (USA). STISD operates magnet schools that draw students from three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy. STISD covers an area of , o ...

operates magnet schools that serve the community.

References

External links

Carmen Anaya Elementary School
- PJSA ISD
J.C. Kelly Elementary School
- Hidalgo ISD {{Hidalgo County, Texas Pharr, Texas

History

Demographics

Education

References

Further reading

External links