Colonia Morelos
Encyclopedia
Colonia Morelos is a colonia
located just north of the historic center of Mexico City
in the Cuauhtémoc borough
. It has been a poor area since Aztec times, with many residents today living in large tenements called vecindades. The area, particularly the Tepito
neighborhood, is known for crime, especially the sale of stolen merchandise and drugs. It is home to the very large Tepito tianguis
or market, and also has two major places of worship dedicated to Santa Muerte
.
The colonia, especially the Tepito neighborhood, is known as a high crime area in Mexico City
. It is known for the handling and selling of stolen merchandise as well as drug dealing, mostly of marijuana. According to a city statistics, 14.45% of the city’s jail population indicates this colonia as its residence. Another major problem for the area’s infrastructure is the theft of electrical services by residents and businesses tapping directly into overhead wires and bypassing meters. In May 2010, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), or federal electricity commission, announced steps to eliminate these practices, as well as the replacement of faulty transformers and other equipment.
Schools, all public institutions, in the area include Bertha Dominguez Pre school Capep Cuauhtemoc 3 Special Needs School, Cedex Jorge Casahonda Castillo Technical High School, Cei Cuautemoc V Primary, Cendi Gdf Tepito 1 Ropa y Telas Primary, Cendi Gdf Tepito 2 Varios Primary, Cendi Gdf Tepito 3 Zona Primary, Dolores Correa Zapata Primary, Escuela de la Musica Mexicana Technical School, Escuela Secudaria Tecnica 3 Technical High School, Escuela Secundaria Tecnica 42 Technical High School, Estado de Durango Primary and Estado de Zacatecas Primary. There is a Houses of Hospitality for Immigrants and the Deported in Mexico and Guatemala located at the Albergue Ejército de Salvación on Labradores Street.
times covered by lake and a small, poor community with lived by fishing and other aquatic activities. It was subdued by the Aztecs quickly, but its original residents were barred from trading in the large nearby Tlatelolco market. It soon became a place to stay for those bringing goods into this market to sell, leading to the Aztec name Mecamalinco, roughly translating to “for carriers.”
After the lake here dried, much of the land was occupied by the Carmen monastery. The city was steadily growing northward up to the monastery’s lands which prevented the building of road north out of town as late as 1864. However, the Reform Laws soon decommissioned the monastery and its lands broken up by new roadways. Colonia Morelos was planned and subdivided by Juan Violante in 1882 on part of these lands. The first housing lots were sold in 1886 and the original extension was diminished as sections broke off to form other colonias. From its beginning, the colonia has been inhabited by the lower-classes mostly laborers and craftsmen, which lived and continue to live in large “vecindades” or tenements.
In 2007, the city government expropriated two large blocks with the rationale of reducing crime in the colonia located on Tenochtitlan and Jesús Carranza streets, an area locally known as “La Fortaleza” or The Fortress.
phrase Teocultepiton meaning “small hermitage.” Over time, this name was shortened and made easier to pronounce for Spanish speakers. This hermitage was located on what is now a small plaza called “Tepito” (officially Fray Bartolomé de las Casas). Most of the neighborhood is taken up by the large tianguis
or open-air market, which covers 25 streets. Tepito’s economy has been linked to tianguis or traditional open air markets since pre-Hispanic times.
Estimates of the area’s population may vary from 38,000 to 120,000 residents, with an estimated 10,000 more who come in during the day to sell. It is famously known as the “Barrio Bravo” or fierce neighborhood. Most crimes here are piracy counterfeit goods
but it is robbery that gives the area its reputation and can cause problems for sellers by scaring away their customers.
, which lasts for about an hour. On the first of November the anniversary of the altar to Santa Muerte constructed by Enriqueta Romero is celebrated. The Santa Muerte of Tepito
is dressed as a bride and wears hundreds of pieces of gold jewelry given by the faithful to show gratitude for favors received, or to ask for one. The celebration officially begins at the stroke of midnight of November 1. About 5,000 faithful turn out to pray the rosary. For purification, instead of incense, there is the smoke of marijuana. Flowers, pan de muerto
, sweets and candy skulls
among other things can be seen. Food such as cake, chicken with mole
, hot chocolate, coffee and atole
are served. Mariachi
s and marimba
bands play.
The other is called the Iglesia Católica Tradicional México-Estados Unidos, Misioneros del Sagrado Corazón y San Felipe de Jesús ("Mexican-US Traditional Catholic Church, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Saint Philip of Jesus") is based in a house that has been converted for worship purposes, located on Nicolás Bravo Street 35 in Colonia Morelos, close to Metro Candelaria
. Worshipers here tend to be people from the neighborhood and include the very young and the very old. The sanctuary here contains a cross, an Archangel Michael and the Virgin of Guadalupe as well as Santa Muerte, on the main altar adorned with flowers. The church claims that it is still a traditional Catholic Church which also includes rituals, workshop and other activities dedicated to Santa Muerte This has caused controversy and disputes with the government over its legal status.
At a cost of 38 million peso
s (€2m, US$3m), the church will construct the first temple dedicated to Santa Muerte in Mexico City. The building will occupy 200 square metre on two floors with space to seat 500 people, with crypt
s, an open-air baptism
al, offices and an audiovisual room. The altar will contain three images: a gold-covered Christ, a traditional image of Santa Muerte and an angel. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in September 2010, and includes plans to produce music and videos for the faithful to transmit over the Internet or a church TV station.
Colonia (Mexico)
In general, colonias are neighborhoods in Mexican cities, which have no jurisdictional autonomy or representation. It is plausible that the name, which literally means colony, arose in the late 19th, early 20th centuries, when one of the first urban developments outside Mexico City's core was...
located just north of the historic center of Mexico City
Historic center of Mexico City
The historic center of Mexico City is also known as the "Centro" or "Centro Histórico." This neighborhood is focused on the Zócalo or main plaza in Mexico City and extends in all directions for a number of blocks with its farthest extent being west to the Alameda Central The Zocalo is the largest...
in the Cuauhtémoc borough
Cuauhtémoc, D.F.
Cuauhtémoc, named after the former Aztec leader, is one of the 16 boroughs of the Federal district of Mexico City. It consists of the oldest parts of the city, extending over what was the entire city in the 1920s. This area is the historic and culture center of the city, although it is not the...
. It has been a poor area since Aztec times, with many residents today living in large tenements called vecindades. The area, particularly the Tepito
Tepito
Tepito is a barrio located in Colonia Morelos in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City bordered by Avenida del Trabajo, Paseo de la Reforma, Eje 1 and Eje 2. Most of the neighborhood is taken up by the colorful tianguis or open-air market. Tepito’s economy has been linked to tianguis or traditional...
neighborhood, is known for crime, especially the sale of stolen merchandise and drugs. It is home to the very large Tepito tianguis
Tianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....
or market, and also has two major places of worship dedicated to Santa Muerte
Santa Muerte
Santa Muerte is a sacred figure venerated in Mexico, probably a syncretism between Mesoamerican and Catholic beliefs. The name literally translates to "Holy Death" or "Saint Death." Mexican culture since the pre-Columbian era has maintained a certain reverence towards death, which can be seen in...
.
Description
The boundaries of the colonia are defined by the following streets: Canal del Norte on the north, Paseo de la Reforma on the west, Eje 1 Norte Heroes de Granaditas on the south and Eje 1 Oriente Av. Del Trabajador on the east.The colonia, especially the Tepito neighborhood, is known as a high crime area in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. It is known for the handling and selling of stolen merchandise as well as drug dealing, mostly of marijuana. According to a city statistics, 14.45% of the city’s jail population indicates this colonia as its residence. Another major problem for the area’s infrastructure is the theft of electrical services by residents and businesses tapping directly into overhead wires and bypassing meters. In May 2010, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), or federal electricity commission, announced steps to eliminate these practices, as well as the replacement of faulty transformers and other equipment.
Schools, all public institutions, in the area include Bertha Dominguez Pre school Capep Cuauhtemoc 3 Special Needs School, Cedex Jorge Casahonda Castillo Technical High School, Cei Cuautemoc V Primary, Cendi Gdf Tepito 1 Ropa y Telas Primary, Cendi Gdf Tepito 2 Varios Primary, Cendi Gdf Tepito 3 Zona Primary, Dolores Correa Zapata Primary, Escuela de la Musica Mexicana Technical School, Escuela Secudaria Tecnica 3 Technical High School, Escuela Secundaria Tecnica 42 Technical High School, Estado de Durango Primary and Estado de Zacatecas Primary. There is a Houses of Hospitality for Immigrants and the Deported in Mexico and Guatemala located at the Albergue Ejército de Salvación on Labradores Street.
History
This area north of the historic center in AztecAztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
times covered by lake and a small, poor community with lived by fishing and other aquatic activities. It was subdued by the Aztecs quickly, but its original residents were barred from trading in the large nearby Tlatelolco market. It soon became a place to stay for those bringing goods into this market to sell, leading to the Aztec name Mecamalinco, roughly translating to “for carriers.”
After the lake here dried, much of the land was occupied by the Carmen monastery. The city was steadily growing northward up to the monastery’s lands which prevented the building of road north out of town as late as 1864. However, the Reform Laws soon decommissioned the monastery and its lands broken up by new roadways. Colonia Morelos was planned and subdivided by Juan Violante in 1882 on part of these lands. The first housing lots were sold in 1886 and the original extension was diminished as sections broke off to form other colonias. From its beginning, the colonia has been inhabited by the lower-classes mostly laborers and craftsmen, which lived and continue to live in large “vecindades” or tenements.
In 2007, the city government expropriated two large blocks with the rationale of reducing crime in the colonia located on Tenochtitlan and Jesús Carranza streets, an area locally known as “La Fortaleza” or The Fortress.
Tepito
Colonia Morelos is best known for its Tepito neighborhood, whose name comes from a NahuatlNahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
phrase Teocultepiton meaning “small hermitage.” Over time, this name was shortened and made easier to pronounce for Spanish speakers. This hermitage was located on what is now a small plaza called “Tepito” (officially Fray Bartolomé de las Casas). Most of the neighborhood is taken up by the large tianguis
Tianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....
or open-air market, which covers 25 streets. Tepito’s economy has been linked to tianguis or traditional open air markets since pre-Hispanic times.
Estimates of the area’s population may vary from 38,000 to 120,000 residents, with an estimated 10,000 more who come in during the day to sell. It is famously known as the “Barrio Bravo” or fierce neighborhood. Most crimes here are piracy counterfeit goods
Counterfeit consumer goods
Counterfeit consumer goods, commonly called knock-offs, are counterfeit or imitation products offered for sale. The spread of counterfeit goods has become global in recent years and the range of goods subject to infringement has increased significantly...
but it is robbery that gives the area its reputation and can cause problems for sellers by scaring away their customers.
Santa Muerte
The colonia is home to two major places of worship of Santa Muerte. The first and best known is the first public sanctuary to be dedicated to the image at the home of Enriqueta Romero Romero. She placed her human-sized image, which had been worshiped privately inside prior, outside her house at 12 Alfarería Street. They eventually led others to do the same. It also attracted visitors. On the first day of every month, Enriqueta leads prayers and the saying of the rosaryRosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
, which lasts for about an hour. On the first of November the anniversary of the altar to Santa Muerte constructed by Enriqueta Romero is celebrated. The Santa Muerte of Tepito
Tepito
Tepito is a barrio located in Colonia Morelos in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City bordered by Avenida del Trabajo, Paseo de la Reforma, Eje 1 and Eje 2. Most of the neighborhood is taken up by the colorful tianguis or open-air market. Tepito’s economy has been linked to tianguis or traditional...
is dressed as a bride and wears hundreds of pieces of gold jewelry given by the faithful to show gratitude for favors received, or to ask for one. The celebration officially begins at the stroke of midnight of November 1. About 5,000 faithful turn out to pray the rosary. For purification, instead of incense, there is the smoke of marijuana. Flowers, pan de muerto
Pan de muerto
The pan de muertos is a type of bread traditionally baked in Mexico during the weeks leading up to the Día de los Muertos, which is celebrated on November 1 and 2. It is a sweetened soft bread shaped like a bun, often decorated with bone-like pieces...
, sweets and candy skulls
Calavera
The word calavera, Spanish for "skull", can refer to a number of cultural phenomena associated with the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead and the Roman Catholic holiday All Souls Day....
among other things can be seen. Food such as cake, chicken with mole
Mole (sauce)
Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...
, hot chocolate, coffee and atole
Atole
Atole is a traditional masa-based Mexican and Central American hot drink. Chocolate atole is known as champurrado or atole...
are served. Mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
s and marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
bands play.
The other is called the Iglesia Católica Tradicional México-Estados Unidos, Misioneros del Sagrado Corazón y San Felipe de Jesús ("Mexican-US Traditional Catholic Church, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Saint Philip of Jesus") is based in a house that has been converted for worship purposes, located on Nicolás Bravo Street 35 in Colonia Morelos, close to Metro Candelaria
Metro Candelaria
Metro Candelaria is a station on the Mexico City Metro. It is located in the Venustiano Carranza borough to the east of downtown Mexico City. It lies along Lines 1 and 4.The station logo depicts a swimming duck...
. Worshipers here tend to be people from the neighborhood and include the very young and the very old. The sanctuary here contains a cross, an Archangel Michael and the Virgin of Guadalupe as well as Santa Muerte, on the main altar adorned with flowers. The church claims that it is still a traditional Catholic Church which also includes rituals, workshop and other activities dedicated to Santa Muerte This has caused controversy and disputes with the government over its legal status.
At a cost of 38 million peso
Mexican peso
The peso is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 15th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The Mexican peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world, the third most traded in the Americas, and by far the most...
s (€2m, US$3m), the church will construct the first temple dedicated to Santa Muerte in Mexico City. The building will occupy 200 square metre on two floors with space to seat 500 people, with crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
s, an open-air baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
al, offices and an audiovisual room. The altar will contain three images: a gold-covered Christ, a traditional image of Santa Muerte and an angel. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in September 2010, and includes plans to produce music and videos for the faithful to transmit over the Internet or a church TV station.