EPCC Instructor Shares Abraham Chavez Theatre Story in Texas Highways

El Paso Community College educator and author Yasmín Ramírez has contributed a story to Texas Highways magazine about the history and cultural significance of the Abraham Chavez Theatre.

Ramírez’s story explores the landmark’s place in El Paso’s music scene and its recognition among notable performing arts venues around the world. The Abraham Chavez Theatre, known for its distinctive sombrero-shaped architecture, has welcomed generations of music lovers and performers, including nationally and internationally recognized talent.

For Ramírez, writing about El Paso is a way to celebrate the people, places and experiences that shape the Borderland. Her Texas Highways story gives readers beyond the region a closer look at a venue that remains part of the city’s cultural identity.

Ramírez is a professor of English and creative writing at EPCC and the author of the memoir ¡Ándale, Prieta!: A Love Letter to My Family. She was recognized as a 2026 ChangeMaker for her contributions to literature, education and storytelling in the border region.

She has taught English and creative writing at EPCC since 2013. In 2018, she founded Off the Page, a reading series connecting creative writing students with contemporary authors and El Paso’s literary community. The series has since grown into an EPCC multidisciplinary student showcase held at the end of each semester.

¡Ándale, Prieta! received a silver medal from the International Latino Book Awards, the Southwest Book Award and a Top Ten selection from the In the Margins Nonfiction Book Awards in 2023. Ramírez’s work explores grief, identity, cultural memory and life along the U.S.–Mexico border.

Read Ramírez’s story in Texas Highways or visit the EPCC English Department website for more information.