Tepito

For the metro station, see Tepito metro station.
View of Tepito

Tepito is a barrio located in Colonia Morelos in Cuauhtémoc, a borough of Mexico City bordered by Avenida del Trabajo, Paseo de la Reforma, Eje 1 and Eje 2.[1] Most of the neighborhood is taken up by the colorful tianguis, a traditional open-air market. Tepito's economy has been linked to the tianguis since pre-Hispanic times.[2] It has long had a "reputation for crime, poverty, and a culture of lawlessness."[3]

Estimates of the area's population vary from 38,000 to 120,000 residents, with an estimated 10,000 more who come in during the day to sell in the market.[1][4] It also has been a lower-class neighborhood since pre-Hispanic times, which has known crime since the same period.[2] It is famously known as the "Barrio Bravo" or "fierce neighborhood". Most crimes here involve the counterfeiting of goods but it is robbery that gives the area its reputation and can cause problems for sellers by scaring away their customers.[1][5]

Tepito is home to a distinctive subculture that has attracted the attention of academics and artists. Art exhibitions have been based on Tepito and the area boasts a number of literary journals to which residents contribute.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ a b c Ramírez, Cynthia (November 2007). "Bienvenidos a Tepito" [Welcome to Tepito] (in Spanish). Mexico: Letras Libres. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  2. ^ a b Revueltas, Lupe (15 July 2009). "Tepito: Por el derecho a la identidad y respeto a la mujer" [Tepito:For a woman’s right to identity and respect]. Centro Independiente de Noticias (in Spanish). Mexico. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  3. ^ Konove, Andrew. Black Market Capital: Urban Politics and the Shadow Economy in Mexico City. Oakland: University of California Press 2018, pg. 1
  4. ^ Esteva, Gustavo (Fall–Winter 1991). "Tepito: No Thanks, First World". In Context: 38. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  5. ^ "Tepito, mosaico popular y centro de piratería, pelea con la mala fama" [Tepito: popular mosaic and center of piracy, fights with its bad reputation]. Terra (in Spanish). 5 October 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  6. ^ Montiel, César Vicente (5 October 2009). "Conozca México, visite Tepito" [Know Mexico, visit Tepito]. Notiese (in Spanish). Mexico. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ Picazo, Josue; Gabriela Meza; Miguel Angel Camero. "Tepito ¡Bravo el barrio! Tampico Cultural Center" (in Spanish). Mexico: Tampico Cultural Center. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  8. ^ "Rescatan arte del barrio de Tepito" [Rescuing neighborhood art of Tepito]. Terra (in Spanish). Mexico City. Notimex. Retrieved 11 November 2009.