Despite its problems, most residents who live here do not want to leave, as they were born here and have raised their families here. Residents also have some of lowest rents in the city, which compels many to stay as well. Rather than being ashamed of living here, many residents are proud of it. This was captured in a Mexican movie, Don de Dios. The film's tagline and a character mention: ser mexicano es un privilegio, pero ser de Tepito es un don de Dios, meaning "being Mexican is a privilege, but being from Tepito is a gift of God." Despite its violent theme, it was filmed in Tepito with the support of tianguis vendors.
