Thread: 'Emo,' goth subcultures thriving in Mexico

'Emo,' goth subcultures thriving in Mexico
16 commentsby Chris Hawley - Apr. 14, 2008 12:00 AM
Republic Mexico City Bureau
MEXICO CITY - It is Saturday at the Chopo flea market in Mexico City, and the angst-ridden kids of Mexico's blooming middle class have come to hang out.

Goths, skaters, punk rockers and "emos" mill around, checking out used albums and buying T-shirts.

The Chopo market is neutral ground. But in other parts of Mexico, a spate of attacks by punks and other groups on emos has thrown the spotlight on these "urban tribes" and their rapid growth as Mexico's middle class begins to spawn its own Generation X of disaffected, tech-savvy youths.
"Before, Mexico was very homogenous," said Gerardo Reyes, one of the darks (known as goths in the U.S.). "Now, the young people are splitting off, doing their own thing."

Mexico has seen youth movements before, with homegrown versions of hippies and punks popping up in the 1960s and 1970s. But in the past decade, the number of subgroups has soared, said Hector Castillo, a sociologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM.

The phenomenon stems from Mexico's increasing internationalization, its migration of people toward cities, its strengthening economy and its relative youth, he said. About 59 percent of Mexicans are under age 30, compared with 42 percent of Americans, according to Mexico's census bureau.


Violence erupts

The divisions among young people turned violent in early March, when Internet posts and cellphone messages began appearing urging darks, punketos (punk rockers) and other groups to chase emos from their hangout on the main plaza in the industrial city of Querétaro.

Emo stands for emotional. Adherents listen to alternative music with sad lyrics, comb their hair over their eyes and wear sneakers and tight T-shirts. The movement came to Mexico from Europe and the United States about five years ago, Castillo said.

On March 7, hundreds of teenagers rushed the emos in the plaza, beating three of them. Television footage showed an emo pinned against a wall while the mob chanted "He wants to cry! He wants to cry!" Police arrested 28 people.

A week later, riot police were called in after punk rockers hurled bottles at a pro-emo protest at the Insurgentes Traffic Circle, an emo hangout in Mexico City. The tension subsided only after a group of drum-beating Hare Krishnas marched through the traffic circle, apparently unaware of what was going on.

Clashes spread to other cities in the central states of Querétaro, Jalisco and Guerrero. Videos of the fighting began appearing on YouTube.

"You'll be on the subway and hear someone say things like, 'Die, emo,' " said Jose Luis Caballero, 21. "It's pretty ugly."

The attacks led to peace marches and rallies, including one a week ago at the Insurgentes Traffic Circle.


The proliferation of youth cultures is tied to Mexico's strengthening economy, Castillo said.

Mexico's gross domestic product per capita has risen from $3,084 a year in 1997 to $8,190 in 2007. Families have shrunk, with the average number of children per woman dropping 22 percent from 1997 to 2007.

That means Mexican families - at least in the cities - have more disposable income to spend on clothes and technology. Those are the things that help like-minded kids find each other and share music, gossip and fashion.

"The Internet, especially, is the switch or the door to open these connections, these new networks," Castillo said.

The percentage of Mexican homes with computers rose from 11.8 percent in 2001 to 22.1 percent in 2007. The percentage of Mexican homes with pay television also nearly doubled, from 13.5 percent to 24.7 percent during the same period. And there are 57 million cellphones in use in Mexico - the 12th-highest number in the world.

But even as families become more affluent, home life has gotten more difficult for many youths, said Roberto Bermudez, another UNAM sociologist. Mexico's divorce rate has risen steadily from 7.4 percent in 2000 to 12.3 percent in 2006.


Troubles at home

"These groups are a middle-class phenomenon, but at the same time many of these young people come from disintegrating families," Bermudez said.

At the Chopo market, 19-year-old Ruben Arias, who described himself as an "anarcho-punk," said Mexican youths would likely continue to subdivide as the country becomes more technologically advanced and globalized.

He said media coverage had fueled the anti-emo furor, and he predicted it would eventually subside. "I'm not anti-emo," he said, shaking his 18-inch-high Mohawk. "People should have the freedom to do their own thing."


Reach the reporter at chris.hawley@arizonarepublic.com



http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... s0414.html

Mexico's gross domestic product per capita has risen from $3,084 a year in 1997 to $8,190 in 2007. Families have shrunk, with the average number of children per woman dropping 22 percent from 1997 to 2007.

That means Mexican families - at least in the cities - have more disposable income to spend on clothes and technology. Those are the things that help like-minded kids find each other and share music, gossip and fashion.

So at $8190 ea, a family of 6 has an income of $51,140 a year! and they
whine about poverty in mexico?