This weekend I was on CNN.com when I came across a very interesting short film by Micheal Hemmingson covering Zona Norte, the red light district of Tijuana, Mexico. The area is notorious for its legal prostitution and illegal drug activity, but Hemmingson's film tries to highlight the commonly overlooked citizens of the neighborhood. Young children, a hard-working taco cart vendor, and a respectable shoe shiner are all seen and even interviewed in the film.

After viewing "Life in Zona Norte," I was surprised to see how well preserved the Mexican culture was preserved in the area. Tijuana is located right on the Mexican/American border, so I expected it to be extremely westernized, but the film showed that the area has been able to protect its vibrant culture. Undoubtedly, Zona Norte is very urbanized and faces many social problems, but it is remarkable to see Latin American culture survive through such issues as drug trafficking and open prostitution.

Here is the link to the video: Life in Zona Norte