Others make a living by washing clothes and cleaning houses. After they have lived in the city for a while, many of the poor find better-paying jobs in factories. About one out of every four Mexicans lives on a farm or in a small village. Most of these farmers live near their fields. The villages are very poor and have little access to such basic social services as health care and education.
Most young people leave the villages to find work in the cities and towns.
The village homes stand along dusty streets that are simple dirt roads or are paved with cobblestones. In most of the villages, a Roman Catholic church stands on one side of the plaza, which forms the center of the community. On the other sides of most village plazas are a few stores and government buildings. Almost every village, and every city and town, has a marketplace. Going to market is one of the chief activities of the people in farm areas.