ABSTRACT
comedores offer a privileged site of observation for analysing forms of food consumption, exchange and aid, and for better understanding how the most impoverished populations fit into society and urban space. This chapter discusses the hypothesis that new forms of urban citizenship are possible, despite the difficulties encountered by these people. The chapter explains how aid contributes to the emergence of forms of urban citizenship. It reveals the social interactions at play within a comedor, showing that food aid – far from reproducing asymmetrical relationships – contributes to the creation of a form of citizenship founded on dignity and rooted in everyday practices. The working-class neighbourhood where the comedor La Esperanza is located offers a striking contrast from the image presented by San Luis Potosí’s city centre, although it is only a few streets away.
