Mexico City
Fieldwork in Mexico City is conducted in Colonia Roma, more commonly known as ‘La Roma’, a neighbourhood founded at the turn of the 20th century. Situated in the central district of Mexico City, it falls within the jurisdiction of the Cuauhtémoc municipality. The neighbourhood was originally conceived as an upper-class district in the northern part of the city (La Roma Norte) but later expanded southwards (La Roma Sur) to accommodate a growing working-class population.
Although it has softened due to the decline of the upper classes throughout the 20th century, this north–south division still exists today, representing different economic and political spheres. Much of the neighbourhood's Porfirian-era architecture and infrastructure is deteriorating, remaining as ruins of past splendour. Walls are literally crumbling, particularly in La Roma Sur, due to a lack of restoration resources. While these houses are still largely inhabited by middle- and working-class residents, there has also been a significant influx of wealthy migrants from other parts of Mexico, as well as ‘returnees’—Mexicans who have moved back after living in the Global North for years. Many of these individuals are engaged in remote work for companies based elsewhere in Mexico or internationally.
As Mexican residents move in and out of La Roma, foreign digital nomads with greater financial resources also circulate through the neighbourhood, who are investing in properties that are in a state of deterioration. Concurrently, the working class is progressively being marginalised to the periphery of the metropolis. The intensification of these, at times forced, mobilities in Mexico City is contributing to the exacerbation of pre-existing urban social inequalities.
Iris Pakulla (she/her) is an anthropologist and filmmaker of Spanish, French, German and Polish heritage. She studied social anthropology in the UK and media communication studies and documentary cinema in Spain and France, respectively. She has over 10 years' professional experience in the documentary film sector. Her new research is taking place in Mexico as part of the ERC project, ReWorkChange. During her PhD at the University of Cambridge, which involved fieldwork in Mongolia, she focused on topics such as extractivism, the anthropology of labour, digital political activism, everyday politics, and female reproductive health.
