Recognition as historical and cultural heritage of the Tejabans in Monterrey: the case of the terminal colony

Abstract

At the beginning of the 20th century, in Monterrey, located in northeastern Mexico, an authentic housing typology was developed, known as tejabán. As a result of the immediate need for housing spaces for residents attracted by the installation of the industry. In this context, the tejabán was an important element during the urban-housing extension that began to the north of the first square. However, after the disproportionate growth of the city, those residential areas that were initially considered peripheral were imprisoned by the center. For this reason, these dwellings faced factors that hindered their presence and preservation through the substitution of materials, landscape regeneration, and urban regulations. Despite these conditions, the practice of self-building tejabanes continued to be replicated in different city areas until the end of the 20th century. After this trajectory, the memory of living in a tejabán acquired great importance because some users deposited their own history, esteem, and symbols linked to identity in these constructions. The objective of this work will be to analyze the historical resignification of the tejabán, exposing the reasons why it could be considered a heritage object in Monterrey. The data will be obtained from documentary sources and in-depth interviews, through a historical-analytical and qualitative method. This research allows us to reflect on the contribution of the masses in the history and construction of identity for the region.