Tepito is a
barrioBarrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
located at
Delegación CuauhtémocCuauhtémoc is one of the 16 delegaciones of the Mexican Federal District. It was formed in 1970 when the former subdivision of Mexico City was split up; the delegaciones of Miguel Hidalgo, Benito Juárez, and Venustiano Carranza also resulted from this split.The borough is named after Cuauhtémoc,...
, in
Mexico CityMexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country, and the most populous city, with about 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008...
.
It is a
popularPopularity is the quality of being well-liked or common. Popularity figures are an important part of many people's personal value systems, and forms a vital component of success in people-oriented fields such as Management, politics, Entertainment Industry among others. Borrowed from the Latin...
flea marketA flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
(
tianguisTianguis was also the name of a group of Hispanic-themed markets operated by the Vons companiesTianguis is a Mexican word derived from the Mexican indigenous language Nahuatl, or Aztec language, and is still frequently used today in Mexico to describe an open public market, i.e., a street market...
, in Mexican
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
), infamously known throughout the
countryIn geography, a country is a geographical region. The term is often applied to a political division or the territory of a state, or to a smaller, or former, political division of a geographical region...
. Many prominent Mexican
boxersBoxers may refer to* two types of underwear:**boxer shorts or boxer briefs* the plural of boxer, either** Boxers are pugilists—people who fight in boxing matches.** or Boxers, a breed of dog....
and wrestlers have been born there. However, it is also known for being home to dangerous gangs and
criminalsCrime is the breach of one or more rules or laws for which some governing authority, via mechanisms such as police power, may ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. Many consider it a dangerous place to visit. It is often called
"el barrio bravo de Tepito", (which can be roughly translated as:
"the Tough Neighborhood of Tepito").
Tepito is a
barrioBarrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
located at
Delegación CuauhtémocCuauhtémoc is one of the 16 delegaciones of the Mexican Federal District. It was formed in 1970 when the former subdivision of Mexico City was split up; the delegaciones of Miguel Hidalgo, Benito Juárez, and Venustiano Carranza also resulted from this split.The borough is named after Cuauhtémoc,...
, in
Mexico CityMexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country, and the most populous city, with about 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008...
.
It is a
popularPopularity is the quality of being well-liked or common. Popularity figures are an important part of many people's personal value systems, and forms a vital component of success in people-oriented fields such as Management, politics, Entertainment Industry among others. Borrowed from the Latin...
flea marketA flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
(
tianguisTianguis was also the name of a group of Hispanic-themed markets operated by the Vons companiesTianguis is a Mexican word derived from the Mexican indigenous language Nahuatl, or Aztec language, and is still frequently used today in Mexico to describe an open public market, i.e., a street market...
, in Mexican
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
), infamously known throughout the
countryIn geography, a country is a geographical region. The term is often applied to a political division or the territory of a state, or to a smaller, or former, political division of a geographical region...
. Many prominent Mexican
boxersBoxers may refer to* two types of underwear:**boxer shorts or boxer briefs* the plural of boxer, either** Boxers are pugilists—people who fight in boxing matches.** or Boxers, a breed of dog....
and wrestlers have been born there. However, it is also known for being home to dangerous gangs and
criminalsCrime is the breach of one or more rules or laws for which some governing authority, via mechanisms such as police power, may ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. Many consider it a dangerous place to visit. It is often called
"el barrio bravo de Tepito", (which can be roughly translated as:
"the Tough Neighborhood of Tepito"). It neighbors another popular Mexico City flea market: La Lagunilla.
Merchandise
The market is famous for selling thousand of items at very low prices. Much of the merchandise sold in Tepito is illegal in one way or another. Some of these items include:
- DVD
DVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
movies and TV series - often sold weeks, even months, before the official cinema release date. Some of them have very poor image quality, incorrect titleA title is a prefix or suffix added to a person's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
s or subtitles, and other issues.
- Videogames/Console
Console may be:In ' and video games:* System console, a physical device to operate a computer** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device** Command-line interface, the typical use of the computer console...
s - both original and pirated, also available before the official release dates. Famously, Tepito sellers have been able to buy cracked Chinese microchips Sonyis a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding ¥ 7.730.0 trillion, or $78.88 billion U.S. . Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, video, communications, video game...
PlayStationThe PlayStation is a 32-bit fifth generation video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December ....
series to make them able to run pirated games, and also to clone Nintendo GameCubeThe is Nintendo's fourth home video game console with Wii being fifth, and is part of the sixth generation console era. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....
proprietary media. A semi-famous case included a seller getting hold of an Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles....
months before the official release. As of January 2007 some Tepito merchants were selling Sonyis a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding ¥ 7.730.0 trillion, or $78.88 billion U.S. . Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, video, communications, video game...
PlayStation 3The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series...
consoles (not yet for regular sale in Mexico then) which sold for about $1,300.00 USD.
- Music CDs - mostly pirated, sold in big quantities for very little money. Most recently MP3 CDs have appeared containing hundreds of songs.
- Brand name clothing and accessories - original and pirated clothes by famous designers such as Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines...
, Versace, Hugo BossHugo Ferdinand Boss , known simply as Hugo Boss, was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss AG.-Famous designs:In the third quarter of 1932, the all-black SS uniform was designed by SS-Oberführer Prof. Karl Diebitsch and Walter Heck...
, Ermenegildo ZegnaErmenegildo Zegna or Zegna is an Italian fashion house that claims to be the world leader in fine men's clothing. Founded in 1910, it is now managed by the fourth generation of the Zegna family and remains in family ownership. As well as producing suits for their own labels, they manufacture suits...
, Montblanc||-||-||-||-||}Montblanc International GmbH is a German manufacturer of writing instruments, watches and accessories, often identified by their "White Star" logo.-History:...
, ChanelChanel S.A., commonly known as Chanel , is a Parisian fashion house founded by the late couturier Coco Chanel, recognized as one of the most chic in the haute couture...
, Guess, Louis VuittonLouis Vuitton Malletier, commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton, or shortened to LV, is an international French fashion house specializing in trunks, leather goods, ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories, sunglasses, and books. Known the world over for its iconic LV monogram and logo,...
, and BurberryBurberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. The company has branded stores and franchises around the world, and also sells through concessions in...
. Some pirated clothes in Tepito have parody brands such as Armandi, Versánchez, Guss, Luis Vuitron, and Carolina Barrera. These mock brands are used in Mexican pop culture to denote something which may not be legitimate.
- Electronic
Electronics is a branch of science and technology that deals with the controlled flow of electrons. The ability to control electron flow is usually applied to information handling or device control. Electronics is distinct from electrical science and technology, which deals with the generation,...
devices - such as TVs, stereos, videocameras, MP3MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression. It is a common audio format for consumer audio storage, as well as a de facto standard of digital audio compression for the transfer and playback of music on...
/DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
players, and cell phones. Popular stories tell of people buying these products and being robbedRobbery is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear. Precise definitions of the offence may vary between...
some streets later by the sellers themselves.
- Toy
A toy is an object used in play. Toys are usually associated with children and pets, but it is not unusual for adult humans and some non-domesticated animals to play with toys. Many items are manufactured to serve as toys, but goods, or services produced for other purposes can also be used as toys...
s - mostly available around DecemberDecember is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days....
and January. Year after year hundreds of parents swarm the streets of Tepito in the middle weeks of December to buy last-chanceProcrastination is the deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. Psychologists often cite this human behavior as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision....
ChristmasChristmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days. The nativity of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini...
gifts.
- Software and computers - pirated software can be acquired at very low prices, with pre-installed crackers or stolen serial numbers. Also brand and re-constructed PCs and laptops are to be found, with their respective accessories.
- Jewelry - mostly stolen
In criminal law, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's freely-given consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting, fraud and sometimes...
.
- Tepito is also known for underground weapons and drugs traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
in high numbers.
Consequences
StatisticsStatistics is a branch of mathematics concerned with collecting and interpreting data. According to other definitions, it is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data. Statisticians improve the quality of data with the...
show that eight out of ten CDs purchased in Mexico come from "pirate" distributors, causing "
lossesLoss may refer to:*A negative difference between retail price and cost of production*An event in which the team or individual in question did not win.*Loss , a pitching statistic in baseball...
" to the music industry that is claimed to exceed seven hundred million dollars. Half the brand and designer clothes sold in the country are either illegally sold or pirated. Analysts estimate this is reflected in the loss of about four hundred thousand jobs and over nine million dollars in the clothing and textiles industry.
Authorities' response
For decades, authorities have been unable to control the crime affairs going on in the streets of Tepito. The market is under constant
policeA police service is a public force empowered to enforce the law and provide security through the legitimized use of force.The term is most commonly associated with police services of a state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of...
surveillance, and raids to confiscate
piracyPiracy is a war-like act committed by private parties that engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the...
, stolen merchandise,
pornographyPornography or porn is the depiction of explicit sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual excitement.Over the past few decades, an immense industry for the production and consumption of pornography has grown, with the increasing use of the VCR, the DVD, and the Internet, as well as the...
, weapons, and drugs take place often, under heavy TV coverage. Campaigns against piracy and buying illegal merchandise, though not directly aimed at Tepito, are made in TV, movie theaters, and the radio to discourage and prevent citizens from buying in street markets - with no considerable results. In Mexico, buying, producing, and selling ilegally copied film and audio materials is a crime, and is sanctioned with high fees and even prison, yet there is no rigorous application of these laws.
In March 2007,
Mexico CityMexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country, and the most populous city, with about 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008...
's government removed all the street merchants (
ambulantes, walking or
pushcartA pushcart is a type of cart that is pushed.Pushcart may also refer to:* Pushcart Press* Pushcart Prize* The Pushcart War, a 1964 children's book by Jean Merrill...
vendors) from the street of
Jesús CarranzaJesús Carranza Neira was a Mexican colonel from Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila. He helped Benito Juárez and also lent him money.Jesús Carranza was married to María de Jesús Garza and had 15 children; among them was Venustiano Carranza, who later became President of Mexico.The Veracruz town of Jesús...
in the neighborhood. This was the first time in years such street was free of illegal commerce. The capital's authorities announced further removal of
ambulantes . Weeks earlier, a building important to drug smugglers in Tepito known as 'La Fortaleza' (The Fortress) was expropriated by the government to build a road and a youth center.
Famous ex-residents
- Cuauhtemoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo , also known as Cuauh , is a Mexican professional soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer of US....
- Footballer
- Cantinflas
Fortino Mario Alfonso Moreno Reyes was a Mexican comedian and actor.He earned wide popularity with his stage and film persona Cantinflas, usually portrayed as an impoverished campesino slumdweller of pelado origin...
- actor
- Paquita la del Barrio
Paquita la del Barrio is the stage name of Francisca Viveros Barradas, a Mexican singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles. She was born in Alto Lucero, Veracruz in 1947. She started her career in Ciudad de México in 1970. Her songs usually take a stance against Mexico's sexist male culture...
- singer
- Jaime Bravo
Jaime Bravo was a famous Mexican matador during the 1950s and 1960s. He was born in the infamous Tepito District of México City, to Spanish parents. His way out of the ghetto was as a for a well known Mexican circus. In his early twenties he stowed away on a ship to Cuba, and then on another...
- matador
- Místico
Místico is a Mexican Luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler currently working for the lucha libre promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre . Since 2006 Místico has been the main tecnico in CMLL and the biggest box office draw in all of Mexico...
- Wrestler/ Luchador
- Marco Antonio Barrera
Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia is a Mexicanprofessional boxer. He is a seven time world champion in three different weight classes; he is a former world champion at WBO Super Bantamweight , IBO / WBC Featherweight , WBC Super Featherweight and IBF Junior Lightweight divisions...
- Boxer
- Kid Azteca
Luis Villanueva Paramo was a Mexican boxer best known as Kid Azteca. Villanueva boxed professionally from 1932 to 1961, making him one of a small number of fighters that fought for four decades...
- Boxer
- Raul Burgos - Basketballer
Trivia
- The Mexican movie Don de Dios, dealing with a Tepito neighbor standing in between a gang war, was shot in location at the barrio itself, with the sellers' support. The film was leaked and pirated by locals while it was still in post-production. It never made it to the big screens. Ironically, both the film's tagline and a character mention: "ser mexicano es un privilegio, pero ser de Tepito es un don de Dios" - which means: "being Mexican is a privilege, but being from Tepito is a gift of God" - a common motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used...
among neighbors.