Reshaping Power in Heritage Narratives: How Generation Z Brings Untold Stories Online

In 2015, in response to rigid, top-down heritage management frameworks promoted by national and international institutions, the project [Alternative Mexico] México Alternativo launched a free mobile application for iOS and Android, alongside a website and integrated social media platforms to create a participatory digital space for sharing Mexico’s diverse heritage (mexicoalternativounam.com). Centered in Mexico City, this case study reshapes power heritage narratives by examining the shortcomings of top-down heritage management and the politics of memory it reproduces. Drawing on national data, the analysis examines how these dynamics shape who can participate in the creation, circulation, and visibility of heritage online. The project recognizes heritage as a shared human right and a living, socially embedded process, affirming residents’ entitlement to share the lived and experiential values they attach to places, objects, and everyday practices. Existing beyond institutional frameworks, this “alternative” heritage is inseparable from the city itself. México Alternativo implements a teaching-research alliance in which Generation Z students collaborate with neighbors to document and share local heritage stories online to address these inequities. Students translate community knowledge into digital formats, enabling the participation of individuals often excluded from online platforms. Everyday citizens – artisans, elders, mothers, market vendors – contribute content that uncovers the social and emotional dimensions of Mexico City, challenging national and international heritage narratives. Through participatory digital curation, Generation Z students bring the untold cultural and social richness of Mexico City online, offering a replicable model for reclaiming overlooked heritage stories of communities worldwide.