Mexico City. The marginal communities: social and ethnic segregation of the native population

Abstract

The article focuses on persistent ethnic and social problems in Mexico City's indigenous communities. While the city is considered one of the most ethnically mixed and cosmopolitan in the world, its indigenous communities are marginalised and suffer the consequences of a discrimination and exclusion process that began during the colonial period. It can actually be said that because of ingrained cultural bias and conditions of extreme poverty, Mexico City's indigenous population lives in a situation of ‘urban marginality' (Wacquant, 2008). The first part describes the historical roots of these ethnic minorities and describes the migration from rural areas to the metropolis. The second part explores the question of marginality, analysing data for the labour market, education and accessibility to services urban indigenous communities, with the aim of understanding whether an integration process has been triggered in recent decades. The third part examines how the government and other institutions are dealing with this problem and proposals for integration policies.