Open veins of informality

Only two generations ago in my family, Sarita, my abuelita (grandma), who was born in Contepec (a small village in Michoacan), had nothing but a dream. That dream was to leave her town and go to work in Mexico City for a better life. My grandmother travelled and survived precarious conditions, moving to the world's largest city at the time. She with my grandfather started a small 'loncheria' (a small street food restaurant) and with the income generated there, she supported a big family via the informal sector. From her lonchería, Sarita sold homemade food to drivers of public transport in one of the busiest terminals from Mexico City. read more