ile t , ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁ten ▁persons ▁per ▁family ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁city ▁finally ▁made ▁improvements ▁to ▁Seg undo ▁Bar rio , ▁p aving ▁and ▁light ing ▁streets . ▁The ▁Rio ▁Grande , ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁flow ▁in ▁a ▁regular ▁channel ▁was ▁eventually ▁rout ed ▁through ▁a ▁c ement ▁channel ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁Land ▁containing ▁ten ements ▁on ▁the ▁El ▁Pas o ▁side ▁was ▁given ▁up ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁channel . ▁ ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁saw ▁a ▁trag ic ▁fire ▁that ▁destroyed ▁a ▁ten ement ▁building ▁which ▁had ▁no ▁fire ▁esc apes . ▁Three ▁children ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁fire . ▁People ▁were ▁mobil ized ▁by ▁the ▁tra ged y ▁of ▁the ▁fire ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁protest , ▁first ▁starting ▁at ▁the ▁El ▁S agr ado ▁Cor azon ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁and ▁then ▁moving ▁on ▁to ▁City ▁Hall . ▁The ▁protest s ▁had ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁sc aring ▁local ▁officials ▁and ▁sp ur red ▁a ▁conference ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Texas ▁at ▁El ▁Pas o ▁( UT EP ), ▁to ▁" stud y ▁the ▁social , ▁economic , ▁and ▁political ▁conditions ▁of ▁south ▁El ▁Pas o ." ▁A ▁local ▁activ ist , ▁José ▁Agu ilar , ▁created ▁a ▁program ▁called ▁the ▁Mexican - American ▁Committee ▁on ▁Honor , ▁O pport unity , ▁and ▁Service ▁( MA CH OS ), ▁which ▁required ▁that ▁members ▁live ▁in ▁Seg undo ▁Bar rio ▁and ▁which ▁advoc ated ▁on