Tucked away on the doorsteps to a closed office building in Mexico City he is at a place that he considers to be home. The building is vacant, other than his watchful eye next to the large glass doors that have not been opened in years.
"Being homeless is like living in a post-apocalyptic world. You're on the outskirts of society.
- Frank Dillane, English actor
Quietly sitting and looking upwards as pedestrians passed him by on a sunny Saturday afternoon in bustling Mexico City he had a yogurt, an apple, a piece of candy and a baked good in front of him. As people neared, he would extend his hat in an effort to seek a few pesos.
The poverty rate has been on a steep increase since 2006 in Mexico. Today, 42.9% of Mexicans live below the national poverty line. For a comparison, America has a poverty rate of 14.5% and that number has actually been on the decline.
“Underneath my outside face
There's a face that none can see.
A little less smiley,
A little less sure,
But a whole lot more like me.”
― Shel Silverstein, Every Thing on It
This young child wanders away from his friends who are celebrating a nearby party in Mexico City.
"A person's a person, no matter how small." — Dr. Seuss
He stands hour after hour in the hot sun on the grounds of an ancient pyramid near Mexico City selling souvenirs in an attempt to make enough pesos to feed his family.
20 Pesos are what the lion noisemakers cost for some while others pay the full price of 30 pesos. It all depends on who bargains with him to get the lower price.
Out of country tourist confused by the exchange rate, sometimes pay as much as 100 pesos for the same item made of plastic. Regardless, the money is not being used in a negative way – it is simply allowing for a family to eat.
Homeless in Mexico City.
"Give yourself a chance
You have something special
That nobody else can claim
Deep inside your heart
Shines a revelation"
-Santana - "Hard Times"
Three friends, two religions... sitting on the edge of a 300-foot high pyramid made by residents from a different religion in 250 B.C.
The Aztecs called the ancient architectural marvel the 'Birthplace of the Gods.' The Aztecs were intrigued by the structures that they found just as they still sit today.
The pyramids are known as the Teotihuacán Pyramids. They sit about 30-miles outside of Mexico City.
There is a lot of dislike for U.S. President Trump in Mexico. I did not fully understand the reasoning until a visit to Mexico City. I now understand more about the situation. Keep in mind, I fully believe to become an American resident, you need to go through all legal avenues. However, my visit did allow me to get a better grasp on why so many struggling families in Mexico want to make that journey to the United States.
The manufacturing industry in Mexico is very alive with America being one of the largest importers of Mexican made goods. With extra taxes on the imports as proposed, it will potentially drive Mexican families into deeper despair in an already impoverished area. But, is this an American problem or a Mexico issue?
Currently, about 40% of the residents in Mexico live in complete poverty earning between $4 and $8 per day. Furthermore, 5.1 million residents in Mexico live off of $2 or less per day in income.
The schools in Mexico are not doing well, which means children lack a good education. 48 Percent of state schools have no access to sewage while 31 percent have no drinking water. Another 11% of schools operate without any electricity.
Despite the sound of things, Mexico is actually the 15th richest country in the world. While this may sound a little hard to believe after reading through my statistical post, it is quite true.
That being said, is the problem with America adding taxes to imports or is the problem within the Mexican government and the manufactures failing to pay employees for their hard labor efforts?
In other words, if Mexico is to change their poverty rates, the focus should be on large employers taking a new approach to their employees and actually valuing their workers by increasing their pay.
What I learned is that Mexican manufacturing companies are taking full advantage of their employees by paying them $4 to $8 daily for 8 full hours of work. The heads of these companies are gathering wealth at a record pace by not helping the employees that make them wealthy.
Mexico City: He lives in the shadows of everyone, unable to clearly speak or think. In this photo, he is looking into the window of a store watching people shop as if he is imagining what it would be like to do the same.
Organ grinders and accordion players are scattered throughout Mexico City. They can often be found in front of restaurants and sometimes, even inside. In the slums and the rich areas alike, music fills the air.
Music and art are two things that Mexico City has a lot of. While the city is filthy throughout, it is also artistically rich. Graffiti can be found on every corner… some good and some simple gang markings.
The city has well over 100 art studios, galleries or museums.
The city also has an exact replica of the Empire State Building. Well, maybe not exact. While it looks the same, it is considerably shorter than the real deal. The building in Mexico City is 44 stories tall and the real building in New York is 102 stories tall.
The homeless population in Mexico City is quite large. In fact, some report that over 15,000 of the homeless are under the age of 18. Those who are under that age often do anything to survive. Some sell their bodies while others perform dances on Subway cars for tips.
In Mexico City it is not uncommon to see people asking for money in the streets of Mexico City after they get off of work. Most people in Mexico don’t make enough money to support themselves, much less their family.
The minimum wage in Mexico was raised in 2016 to a daily amount of 73.04 Mexican pesos, which is equal to $4.25. Keep in mind, that is the per day minimum wage, not per hour.
Mexico City encompasses 573 square miles with a population of 21.2 million residents in their Metropolitan area. To put that into perspective, Rutherford County, Tennessee has a population of around 300,000 residents and covers 614 square miles. Mexico City is also the 6th largest city in the entire world. It was founded as Tenochtitlán in year 1325.