Inequalities in Mexico - Part 1

Inequalities in Mexico City

From Shacks to Skyscrapers

Anna's Story

Anna Romero lives in a poor part of Mexico City. She and her family of six share a simple two-room house made of concrete blocks, corrugated metal, and scraps of wood. There is no glass in the windows, and there is no running water. The Romeros must walk to a water tap they share with their neighbors.

Anna's Story

Six days a week, Anna travels by bus to her job as a maid for the Alba family. The Albas live on the other side of Mexico City in a beautiful 15-room house with a large garden and swimming pool. To Anna, the Alba home seems like a castle. The Albas pay Anna less than $15 for a 12-hour day of cleaning, cooking, and doing laundry. At 7:00 P.M., as the Albas sit down to a big meal of chicken, meat, or fish, Anna begins her journey home to cook rice and beans for her family.

Anna's Story

The Albas and Romeros live just 15 miles apart in the same city, but in some ways they live in different worlds. The contrast between their two ways of life is an example of spatial inequality, or an unequal distribution of wealth or resources over a geographic area. It means that some places within that area are richer or poorer than others. Mexico City offers many examples of spatial inequality.

Open Ended

Where else have you seen spatial inequality?

Multiple Choice

Which option best describes the meaning of impoverished or someone that lives in poverty?

• Being well above the average standard of living

• Being right at the average standard of living

• Being well below the average standard of living

Analyze the photo.

Multiple Choice

Which side of the photo is most likely inhabited by those in the working class or in poverty?

Open Ended

What brought you to that conclusion?

Valley of Mexico

• One of the world’s largest cities in population (8.9 mil. in 2015)

• Located in a highland basin called the Valley of Mexico at about 7,000 feet above sea level

• The valley is surrounded by mountains and has a mild climate and rich soil

A Little Bit of History

Tenochtitlán

A City of Wonders: The Aztec Capital of Tenochtitlán

The first settlers in the Valley of Mexico arrived thousands of years ago. At the time, several large, shallow lakes covered the valley floor. Small cities eventually grew up around these lakes.

Tenochtitlán

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQwqwfKv_Dc

Multiple Choice

What originally drew the Aztecs to settle down in this area?

• A source of water

• A source of sunlight

• A source of food

• Other

Multiple Choice

Which odd feature occurred during the Aztec game of Ullamaliztli (kickball)?

• Two games were played simultaneously.

• Players could not use their feet.

• Human sacrifice sometimes took place during these games.

Tenochtitlán: Standard of Living

• Standard of living: overall level of comfort and well-being

• Food from farming, fishing, and trade

• Fresh water from hillsides brought into the city via aqueduct

• Well-built houses in clean, orderly neighborhoods

Multiple Choice

This city sounds great...what could go wrong?

• Absolutely nothing.

• You shouldn't have said that.

Spain Dropped by for a Visit...

In the 1500s, Spain conquered the Aztec city and destroyed it. They then built the city now known as Mexico City.

What Came Next?

Some 300 years later, in 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain. Mexico City became the capital of the new country and continued to grow slowly. By the 1950s, the city was a blend of modern and historic buildings, and its broad avenues and tree-filled parks made it a pleasant place to live.

Open Ended

Recall: What is migration?

Open Ended

Infer: What would make people want to migrate somewhere like Mexico City? AKA. What are the pull factors of Mexico City?

Multiple Select

When too many people migrate somewhere at the same time, what do you think will happen? Check all that apply.

• People use less water.

• Buildings fill up quickly.

• Traffic increases.

• People save power.