Now this is interesting. On July 4th, there was a protest in Mexico City against gentrification perpetrated by “digital nomads”, most of them Americans, who have moved to Mexico City.
Digital nomads are people who work online, and since they work online they can work anywhere. So they go to Mexico City because the cost of living is cheaper but they’re getting their American salary. Not bad.
But some Mexico City residents resent this because it raises prices for them. Plus many of the digital nomads don’t learn Spanish.
I lived in Mexico many years, but I wasn’t like that. I spoke Spanish and integrated into Mexican society.
Many Americans in Mexico, on the other hand, don’t learn Spanish and just hang around with other Americans and Canadians and rich Mexicans. It’s true.
Anyway, I can see the point of these protestors. One of their signs said “Mexico for the Mexicans”. Well yes, of course.
Mexico has the right to permit or prohibit any foreigners from living or not living in Mexico, and on any terms it wishes to establish.
On the other hand, Mexicans should realize that Americans don’t want their country overrun with foreigners either.
Here is a report from the Mexico Daily Post on the protests:
“On July 4, 2025, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Mexico City to protest against the growing effects of gentrification, particularly in neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa. The march, which began as a peaceful mobilization in Parque México, was organized by local residents and activist groups concerned about rising rents, cultural displacement, and the influx of foreign digital nomads, many of them from the United States.”
“Protesters carried signs with slogans such as “La vivienda es un derecho, no una mercancía” (“Housing is a right, not a commodity”) and “México para los mexicanos”. The demonstration aimed to draw attention to how gentrification has priced out long-time residents and transformed traditional communities into enclaves catering to wealthier foreigners.”
“However, as the march progressed through the Condesa neighborhood, tensions escalated. A group of masked individuals broke away from the main crowd and began vandalizing storefronts, including a Starbucks and several upscale restaurants. Windows were shattered, graffiti was sprayed on walls, and a clothing store was reportedly looted. Some demonstrators also confronted foreign diners seated at outdoor cafés, shouting slogans and demanding they leave.”
“While the majority of participants remained peaceful, the violent turn of events drew a swift response from local authorities. Police were deployed to disperse the crowd and restore order, though no major injuries were reported.”
“Fuera Gringo” (Out Gringo) was part of the graffiti left by the protest.
From the Associated Press: “A protest by hundreds against gentrification and mass tourism that began peacefully Friday in Mexico City neighborhoods popular with tourists turned violent when a small number of people began smashing storefronts and harassing foreigners.”
“Masked protesters smashed through the windows and looted high-end businesses in the touristic areas of Condesa and Roma, and screamed at tourists in the area. Graffiti on glass shattered glass being smashed through with rocks read: ‘get out of Mexico.’ Protesters held signs reading ‘gringos, stop stealing our home’ and demanding local legislation to better regulate tourism levels and stricter housing laws.”
“Marchers then continued on to protest outside the U.S. Embassy and chanted inside the city’s metro system. Police reinforcements gathered outside the Embassy building as police sirens rung out in the city center Friday evening.”
“It marked a violent end to a more peaceful march throughout the day calling out against masses of mostly American tourists who have flooded into Mexico’s capital in recent years.”
“Tension had been mounting in the city since U.S. ‘digital nomads’ flocked to Mexico City in 2020, many to escape coronavirus lockdowns in the U.S. or to take advantage of cheaper rent prices in the Latin American city.”
“Since then, rents have soared and locals have increasingly gotten pushed out of their neighborhoods, particularly areas like Condesa and Roma, lush areas packed with coffee shops and restaurants.”
“Michelle Castro, a 19-year-old college student, was among the flocks of people protesting. She said that she’s from the city’s working class city center, and that she’s watched slowly as apartment buildings have been turned into housing for tourists.”
“ ‘Mexico City is going through a transformation,’ she said. ‘There are a lot of foreigners, namely Americans, coming to live here. Many say it’s xenophobia, but it’s not. It’s just that so many foreigners come here, rents are skyrocketing because of Airbnb. Rents are so high that some people can’t even pay anymore.’ ”
“The Mexico City protest follows others in European cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and Rome against mass tourism.”