Chinampas, Flowers and Struggles

This personal narrative reflects on the memories of Xochimilco, in the south of Mexico City, and how they intertwine with the region’s long history of resilience and struggle. The smell of flowers and the taste of herbs bring back memories of my childhood, my family, my village, and the historical forces that have shaped the identity of the people of this region of Mexico over the last 500 years. Corruption, impunity, the exploitation of Indigenous populations, the overexploitation of natural resources, social inequality, and poverty still affect the Xochimilcas, following the subjugation of the Aztec Empire, the effects of which continue to resonate today.