Iztapalapa () is a borough (demarcación territorial) in Mexico City, located on the eastern side of the city. The borough is named after and centered on the formerly independent municipality of Iztapalapa (officially Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac). The rest is made up of a number of other communities which are governed by the city of Iztapalapa.

With a population of 1,835,486 as of 2020, Iztapalapa is the most populous borough of Mexico City as well as the second-most populous municipality in the country, after Tijuana. Over 90% of the territory is urbanized, with its green space mostly in parks. Over the past 40 years, Iztapalapa transformed from a rural area primarily dedicated to agriculture to a densely populated borough. This was the result of a large influx of people who settled in the borough from other parts of the country, starting in the 1970s. Most of the population is employed in commerce, services and industry.

Iztapalapa remains afflicted by high levels of economic deprivation, and a significant number of its residents lack access to clean drinking water. Iztapalapa has one of the highest rates of violent crime in Mexico City. Combatting homicides and drug trafficking remain a major issue for local authorities.

The borough is home of one of Mexico City's major cultural events, the annual Passion Play in which 450 borough residents participate and about 2 million attend as spectators.

Background

Today Iztapalapa is a borough of Mexico City, centered on what used to be an independent settlement with its origins in the pre-Hispanic period. It has a territory of , and is located on the east side of Mexico City bordering the boroughs of Iztacalco, Xochimilco, Tláhuac, Coyoacán and Benito Juárez. The State of Mexico borders the borough on the east side, and Iztapalapa has strong cultural and economic ties to this part of the state.

The borough was created in 1928, centered on and named after a formerly independent municipality within the then Federal District, which already had governing authority over a number of surrounding communities. The modern borough is made up of 15 “barrios” or neighborhoods, considered to be part of city of Iztapalapa, and 18 other “pueblos” or communities outside of it. To distinguish the original city of Iztapalapa from the rest of the borough, it was officially named Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac in 2006 in honor of the tenth Aztec emperor. Borough authorities have sought “Barrios Mágicos Turísticos” (Magical Tourism Neighborhoods) status for these, for a program similar to the “Pueblos Mágicos” tourism program run by the federal government. The goal is to attract visitors to these neighborhoods as well as other landmarks of the borough such as the Cerro de la Estrella, Pueblo Culhuacán, the Churubusco Gardens, La Magdalena Atlazolpa, Los Reyes, San Antonio Culhuacán, Mexicalzingo, the San Lorenzo Cemetery, San Andrés Tetepilco and San José Aculco.

Elevation and climate

thumb|left|Yohualiuhqui volcano, as seen from the San Lorenzo Tezonco cemetery

The borough has an average elevation of asl and extends over firm land and what was former lake bed of Lake Texcoco. Some of the firm land is alluvial plain but most of it are elevations such as the Cerro de la Estrella ( asl), Peñón Viejo or Peñon del Marqués ( asl), and the Sierra de Santa Catalina, which contains the Cerro Tecuatzi ( asl), Cerro Tetecón ( asl), and the Guadalupe Borrego ( asl), ( asl); and Yuhualixqui ( asl) volcanoes.

The climate of the area is divided into four zones. One consists of a warm wet climate with temperatures above in the coldest months. Another is a temperate wet climate with temperatures between in the coldest months. One has a relatively dry climate with a range of temperatures, and the last consists of a cold climate with average temperature not exceeding . Most of the area falls into the temperate category and all receive most of their rainfall in the summer and early fall.

Urbanization

thumb|Main building of the [[Fábrica de Artes y Oficios Oriente]]

Uncontrolled population growth in the area has nearly wiped out all forms of wildlife in the borough, although as late as the 1960s, there were still a number of waterfowl to be found. Animals found here now are pets or the few cases in which families still raise domestic fowl, rabbits and others for food. Almost all of the borough (90%) is urbanized, with only six percent designated as ecological reserve, concentrated in two parks, the Cerro de la Estrella National Park and the Sierra de Santa Catarina, declared a reserve in 1994. However, both of these areas are under pressure by the continued urbanization and population growth of the area. Over 95% of the homes in the borough have electricity, running water and sewerage, and the borough provides sufficient educational services and other services such as sports facilities; however, the high population density means that the five or less percent equals a large number of people without sufficient services. Iztapalpa has the highest rates of rape, violence against women, and domestic violence in Mexico City. Most crime is connected with small scale drug trafficking, which is becoming more frequent on the borough's streets. Between 2008 and 2010, there were 470 murders in the borough, two out of ten for all of Mexico City, with one occurring every two days. It also has one of the highest rates of muggings and robberies of taxi drivers and public buses. Basic services, especially potable water, is lacking in many of these same areas, which are close to the Sierra de Santa Catalina where there is no piped water service; rather it is delivered in trucks to home storage tanks. Sometimes the wait for these trucks can last hours, and there have been hijackings of water delivery trucks. About 96% of homes in the borough do have piped-in water, but about 500,000 residents have insufficient supplies, low pressure and in many places the water quality is visibly poor. The main parish church building of the city of Iztapalapa dates from at least 1664. Its main entrance contains various indigenous symbols. Some churches, however, were built later, such as the Asunción de María parish church built in 1890, and the current San Juan Evangelista church built between 1880 and 1897. The park covers over and was established for recreational and cultural purposes. The hill (cerro) was the site of the Aztec New Fire ceremony, last performed in 1507. The park is also culturally important due to the annual Passion Play which is partially conducted on the summit of the cerro each year. It is the largest such market in Latin America. It was established in the 1970s, over what were the remaining chinampa farming plots in the borough, effectively eliminating this tradition in this part of the city. The main building was inaugurated in 1982, built by Abraham Zabludovsky, as a slightly deformed hexagon measuring across. It was built to take over from the La Merced Market, which was no longer large enough to meet the city's needs for the wholesale distribution of produce and other foodstuffs. The market begins business at 4:00 a.m., when delivery trucks bring in fresh fish from all over Mexico to the vendors. This daily delivery is about 500 tons and includes all kinds of seafood from shrimp to fish to shellfish to small sharks and manta rays. The main fish market is here due to Mexico City's role as economic center since the pre Hispanic period.

thumb|Scene inside the Central de Abastos

The Fábrica de Artes y Oficios Oriente was inaugurated in 2000, located between the two largest apartment complexes of the borough, the Iztapalapa and the Unidad Vicente Guerrero. It contains a forum for 800 people, lobby with two wings for expositions and workshops. Classes are given in guitar, dance, candlemaking, ceramics, and sewing. There is also an area for major event which can hold 1,500 people.

The community museum of San Miguel Teotongo on the highway to Puebla contains finds related to the ancient inhabitants of the area. Most relate to the pre-Hispanic period and include utensils, ceremonial objects, ceramics, obsidian blades and arrowheads and jewelry. The Centro de Readaptación Social Varonil Santa Martha Acatitla (Center for Male Social Readaptation Santa Martha Acatitla) is for juvenile males which was inaugurated in 2003. It has a maximum population of 672 housed in four buildings with basketball court, dining hall, workshops, classrooms and computer room. A new building is under construction to bring the capacity up to 900 inmates.

Transportation

thumb|[[Metro Peñón Viejo]]

For most of the borough's history, most transportation of people and freight was done on the waters of the lake and through canals. However, these began to dry up starting in the 19th century. They remained important up until the early 20th century, with even steamships passing through at one time. In the 1930s, many of the barrios of Iztapalapa were still marked by canals and still grew vegetables, fruits and flowers. Eventually, major traffic was confined mostly to the Canal Nacional. As the canals dried up, newer modes of transportation were introduced. In 1903, mule-drawn trolleys were introduced into the municipality to link it Mexico City via Jamaica. These trolleys would be used to bring Mexican president Francisco I. Madero to celebrate his inauguration in 1912. Several train lines linked the area to other parts of Mexico by 1922. The first bus services between the center of Mexico City and the large market was begun in 1952. Public transportation includes several trolleybus lines, busses, taxis and bicitaxis. Line 8 and Line A of the Metro also pass through the borough.

The cable car system is 10.6 kilometers, making it one of the largest cable car networks in all of Latin America.

Demographics

With a population of 1,815,768 as of the 2010 census, Iztapalapa is the most populous and fastest growing borough in Mexico City. From 1970 to 1980, it accounted for 54.3% of the city's population increase. From 1980 to 1990, Iztapalapa gained 341,988, more than 1.6 times that of the rest of the city. Most of the migration came from families leaving the center of the city, but more importantly many migrants from other parts of Mexico into the city settled in the relatively cheap Iztapalapa. In the last decades, the population increase of the borough has accounted for 83% of the population growth of Mexico City. Today, the population of the borough accounts for over 20.5% of Federal District’s total. The population growth has slowed somewhat, but at its peak in the 1990s, it was over 100%. The borough's population is still expected to increase at a rate of 0.77%. While migration into the borough is significant, there is very little migration out into other parts of Mexico or abroad.

Most of the borough's residents are poor to middle class, with a very large percentage of youth. Most of the indigenous languages found in the borough are those associated with the state of Oaxaca, such as Zapotec, Mixteca and Chatina. Oaxacan languages account for 34.9% of the total. Uto-Aztecan languages account for 23.32% which include Tarahumara, Mayo, Yaqui, Cora and Huichol. Another significant percentage are those of the Oto-Pamean languages which include Otomi, Mazahua and Matlatzinca. The only language which has been spoken in Mexico not represented in Iztapalapa is Kickapoo.

Religion

The overwhelming majority of the population is Catholic, although this has declined by 1.9% since the 1990s. Protestant and Evangelical sects have grown to about 6% of the population, with less than 2% professing no faith.

Education

The first public primary school classes in Iztapalapa were established in 1914 under the government of Venustiano Carranza at Escuela Enrique Laubscher and in the San Lucas Church. However, during the government of Lázaro Cárdenas, many in the borough refused to send their children to school, afraid that they would be indoctrinated against the Catholic faith. About 4% of the population above the age of six is illiterate with 63% of this number being female. The highest rates of illiteracy are in the 65 and older age group.

Public high schools of the Instituto de Educación Media Superior del Distrito Federal (IEMS) include:

  • Escuela Preparatoria Iztapalapa I
  • Escuela Preparatoria Iztapalapa II "Benito Juárez"
  • Escuela Preparatoria Iztapalapa III "Miravalles"
  • Escuela Preparatoria Iztapalapa IV

The Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana was established in 1974 with three campuses in Azcapotzalco, Xochimilco and Iztapalapa. Iztapalapa was constructed first and covers an area of . Most of the institution's research work is conducted at the Iztapalapa campus. Other institutions include the University Autónoma dela Ciudad de México, San Lorenzo Campus and the Instituto Tecnológico de Iztapalapa.

Economy

The two most important economic activities in the borough are manufacturing and commerce. Sixty-three percent of all business establishments are dedicated to commerce, which employ 42% of the people and accounts for 45% of the borough's GDP. Commerce and services together employ 63.3% of the population. Twenty-four percent of this commerce is wholesale, much of which is tied to the Central de Abasto and the La Nueva Viga markets. However, wholesale businesses have declined 2.8% while retail establishment have increased 8.1%. This has a positive effect on employment, but this activity adds less to the GDP. The largest sector of retail sales is in street markets called tianguis, followed by public markets, street peddlers and lastly through the Central de Abasto.

The Passion Play is considered to be part of “folk religion,” supported by clergy but not considered to be liturgy. This includes people from other parts of Mexico, from abroad and from the media. The reenactments start on Palm Sunday and last until Easter Sunday with various Biblical scenes related to the life and death of Jesus played out. This event is named after the Aztec New Fire ceremony, which was celebrated every 52 years at the summit of the Cerro de la Estrella hill. This was a solemn ceremony when all fires were extinguished with a “new fire” ignited at night to provoke the return of the sun in the morning as well as the mark the beginning of a new 52-year cycle on the Aztec calendar. This “new fire” would then be distributed among the populace. The last ancient ceremony was held in 1507.

Other events

To celebrate the Christmas season, the borough sponsors various activities such as Christmas plays, processions “posadas” as well as cultural events such as dance recitals.

History

thumb|Map of the Valley of Mexico in 1519, showing Iztapalapa and causeway running north from it to Villa Guadalupe.

Pre-colonial period

The borough is named after a city which was founded here in the pre-Hispanic period. "Iztapalapa" comes from Nahuatl and means "in the waters of the banks," referring to its position along the lakeshore, situated partly on dry land and partly over water

Like the pre-Hispanic villages of Xochimilco and Tláhuac, Iztapalapa began as a village on the shores of the lake system and dedicated to farming on chinampas. These people were led by a chief named Mixcoatl and would become known as the Culhuas.

By the 11th century, the Toltec descendants had become dominant with the area with Culhuacán becoming the capital of a dominion in 1114. The main rulers of this city included Nauhyotl, Cuauhtexpetlatzin, Huetzin, Nonoalcatle and Cuauhtonal who ruled between 1120 and 1251. In the middle of the 13th century, the Toltecs were displaced by the Chichimecas, who ruled it from 1250 to 1400 under various rulers.

After the Spanish and their allies regrouped in Tlaxcala, Cortés decided to attack Iztapalapa before besieging the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, in part to secure supplies. The city of Iztapalapa had about 10,000 people with about two-thirds of its structures built over water. Eight thousand Aztecs defended the city on land and on water. Cortés and his indigenous allied burned, massacred and destroyed the city completely, killing 6,000 of the city's residents. But after the battle, when the Spanish let down their guard, Iztapalapa opened water channels to flood the city and drown the invaders. Most of the Spanish survived, but many of their Indian allies did not and were drowned. The Spanish lost all of their gunpowder.

thumb|View of the San Lucas Church in Iztapalapa

After the Conquest, the pre-Hispanic temples of the area were destroyed, the Iztapalapa and surrounding cities were subjugated by Gonzalo de Sandoval. Juanito and supporters blocked the main entrance to the borough offices, but allowed employees access through other entrances. The protest was to have him declared the winner of borough president elections. In the end, Brugada retained the position.

During the 2010s, Iztapalapa was affected by severe water shortages in September 2017 following the 2017 Puebla earthquake, and in October and November of 2018. In 2020, Iztapalapa was disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences. The New York Times described Iztapalapa as the 'epicenter' of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, with the borough's density and high rates of poverty cited as reasons why.

Notable people

  • Los Ángeles Azules, music group
  • Ignacio Ambríz, former soccer player and coach
  • Daniel Estrada, boxer
  • Silvia Pérez Ceballos, politician
  • Horacio Martínez Meza, politician
  • Ricardo Marín, soccer player
  • Pancho Cárdenas, artist.

References

  • Alcaldía de Iztapalapa website