Nearly 2,000 miles (over 3,000 kilometers) from Los Angeles, California, Little LA is located in the heart of Mexico City.It is the neighborhood adopted by the deportees. Dreamers Without the protection of immigration and families that They are back After living for years in the United States. The area is part of Tobacco colonyjust a few steps from Monument to the RevolutionIt has become a refuge for those seeking to settle back in their original homeland.
Residents who have returned from California point this out Similarities between the urban environment of the area and Some features of Los Angelesleading to the nickname. The presence of palm trees, commercial mobility and proximity to the monument visible in the landscape evokes memories of the place where they grew up or worked.
“Little Los Angeles is a community Flexible and brave Who wants to start over Even though they lost everything in a country they considered theirs“Even though it wasn’t, for the simple fact that the role defines your entire life,” said Ana Estrada, volunteer director of New Comienzos, in an interview with New Comienzos magazine. CNN.
Daily life in the neighborhood includes a constant mix of English and Spanish. Bilingual signs are read at businesses It is common in various institutions for returnees to use the language they learned in the United States, whether in stores, offices, or call centers, where their language skills are put to use.
This neighborhood is an arrival point for Dreamers, those who grew up in the United States as children and who, having lost protections like DACA, which gave them security against deportation and work permits, They decide or are forced to return. It is also home to people who were expelled after years of living, studying, or raising families in various American cities.
For many, return involves rebuilding identity and routines in the country to which they legally belong. But they did not live there most of their lives. One such case is that of Edwin Sanchez, who spent more than two decades in Wyoming. He returned because he was unable to obtain permanent status.
“Now I work in a bank as a manager I feel more free and able to achieve my dreams in my countryHe confirmed CNN From his new home in Little LA, his story is similar to that of other returnees who found space to continue after their return.
Given the circumstances of returning migrants, Civic organizations are working on neighborhood streets to provide support to expatriates..
New Comienzos, created in 2015, is one of them: it offers support Legal, emotional, access to food, English language certificates and career guidance. Their presence helps many returnees understand how to integrate into the Mexican institutional system after spending years outside that country.
The nickname Little L.A. not only responds to the memory that the Monument to the Revolution generates among some immigrants from California. It also serves as a reference for The cultural mix observed in the streets of Tabacalera.
Alternative use of Both languages It reflects the life paths in which the United States has been home to many of its residents for long periods. According to New Cominzo members, The neighborhood represents a meeting point for people looking to reorganize their lives After loss of legal status or deportation.
“Back (to Mexico) He doesn’t give up, he starts overHe confirmed Israel Conchafounder of the entity.
Despite the available support… Returning to Mexico usually involves economic, social, and emotional obstacles. Deported or returned persons face uprooted situations, language barriers, difficulties in coordinating studies, and various forms of stigma. Some describe the adaptation process as a stage in which… They must redefine life goals.
“Deportation forces you to rethink the meaning of life. What will I do? It’s a new world“You become a new person, you reinvent yourself,” admitted Miguel Solis, who was expelled from the United States after a life shaped in that country. “You learn to adapt. It is an existential crisis“, He says.
In Mexico City, the flow of returnees continues. According to information from the Ministry of Interior, during the period from January to September 2025, The United States deported 112,260 Mexican citizensOf this total, 2595 arrived in the capitalwhere civic organizations and community networks like those in Little LA were key in guiding the stabilization process.
The mass return of Mexicans also led to government initiatives. among them, he “Mexico embraces you” programwhich is the purpose Receiving deported citizens and facilitating their reintegration.
The strategy includes coordination between federal and state agencies and points of care in border states and access to basic services e.g Temporary accommodation, food and transportation support.
The initiative is thinking Identity document procedures, registration in the public health system and access to social programmes. Each returnee receives a financial support card designated to cover immediate expenses.
Launched the New Comienzos organization “Dream in Mexico” project.which is the program that Provides bilingual information, legal guidance, emotional support and guidance for the first 60 days. Its purpose is to ease the transition to life in Mexico, especially for those who arrive without family networks or with limited experience in the Latin country.