Life In Mexico City
By: Tyleyah Grimes
Mexico City is one of the most populated cities in the world. Mexico City sits in a highland basin called the Valley of Mexico at about 7,000 feet above sea level. It was built over Tenochtitlan an island built by the Aztecs on Lake Texcoco. In 1521 the Aztec Empire was conquered by Spain and Tenochtitlan was destroyed then Mexico City was built over it.
When I visited Mexico City I saw what different types of lifestyles people lived. One person I met was Rosa Munoz who lives in one of the less fortunate parts of Mexico City Iztapalapa. Rosa told me that people there only have18 square feet of green space, making their standard of living very low because many families make money from farming and 18 square feet just isn't enough space to grow the amount of crops they need another thing she told me is that only 57% percent of people above age 15 continue on with education beyond primary school because they have to work, also that only 55% of homes have water and all of these factors have caused people to move to more urban cities with more opportunities this is called urbanization.
These are the kinds of homes people in Iztapalapa
Homes of the "Have Nots"
Another area I visited was Benito Juarez where I met a nice family that told me the population density was 34,000 per square mile, 34 square feet of green space per person and 94% of homes were built with good materials compared to Iztapalapa with only 18 square feet of green space this is major spatial inequality. In Benito Juarez they live in beautiful, luxurious mansions with everything they need compared to the slum-like homes people in Iztapalapa live in, but even the “Haves” of Mexico City face problems because of the economy it has made it more difficult for them to save money and to send their children to good schools.
These are some of the beautiful homes people in Benito Juarez live in
Homes of the "Haves"
Visiting Mexico City has made me put my life in perspective by showing me how fortunate my life in the United States is