The Current Conditions of Street Life in México
Essay written in October, 2000
The whole world is aware of the great changes that have taken place in Mexico during the last few years: The Zapatista revolution in Chiapas has destroyed the image of the Mexico as a stable or monolithic society. NAFTA -- the North American Free Trade Agreement -- between Mexico, the United States and Canada has totally transformed the Mexican economy. Finally, the election of Vicente Fox in 2000 ended the old PRI regime.
Unfortunately, it is also during this period of tremendous social change that there has been an increase in the number of street children in Mexico. Informal surveys indicate that in the capital alone more than 1,000,000 children work on the streets as ambulant sellers, street vendors, beggars, thieves or prostitutes.
While it is impossible to isolate one single cause for this increase in numbers, it has been suggested by leaders and those working in NGOs that the reason is connected to the fact that increasing numbers of people are now excluded from participation in the formal economy because of the new monetarist restrictions in place.
- Economic exclusion: In spite of an increase in Mexico´s GNP, many people cannot take advantage of this new wealth. Those with little formal education cannot find work nor do they know how to go about it. The business-consumer- culture promoted by the US discriminates against the indigenous or traditional sectors in Mexico. The rural sector has fewer benefits and opportunities than those living in urban areas. Therefore, it is natural to imagine that those who are excluded from the present system run a high risk of abuse, hunger and being forced to leave their homes.
- The breakdown of the family in the industrialised world: Few Mexicans possess the necessary financial resources to survive the breakdown of the family that the country is experiencing. The existence of single mothers, fathers who abandon their families and frequent family ruptures predispose children to live on the streets.
- Misery and hunger in marginal communities: Living on the streets may be more tolerable and profitable than living at home. Life on the streets may be the lesser of two evils for many children.
- Rural to urban migration: As in other parts of Latin America, families of those who migrate to the cities from the countryside suffer from many problems, including lack of family and community support and the incapacity to face economic hardships. Many lose their homes, some abuse their children and others simply throw their children out on to the streets.
- Identity Crisis: Because Mexico is so close to the US and because of the pervasive influence of the US dominated mass media, many Mexicans are in danger of losing their cultural identity. They cannot identify themselves with the characters they see on television. Now, for example, it is easier to hear Ricky Martin singing on the radio than it is to hear traditional Mexican music such as the world famous “mariachis.”
Children who spend many hours in their homes alone because their parents are out working feel unrecognised and lack any sense of connectedness with their environment. Many go on the streets simply to have attention paid to them and to feel that they exist.
For many years, the authoritarianism of the PRI and its failure to address the urgent problems faced by the poor discouraged the formation of civil society. However, recently there have been proposals to solve the problems of street children, abandoned children and poor families. Some of the most creative NGOs in the world are to be found in Mexico, among which are El Caracol, Ednica, Ediac, Melel Xojobal and MAMA.
In the first few days of his presidency, Vicente Fox convoked a meeting of NGOs to discuss the formation of a new strategy to deal with the problem of street children. Although many fear that Fox will not keep his promises or will fail to provide the necessary financial backing, this does at least indicate a new interest in the problem and could give hope to street children in Mexico.
