It is hard work for elderly Mexican street vendors to transport and sell their goods in New York City, work that doesn't stop even when they are ill. For Rosita, who sells churros [fried dough] at subway stations in Manhattan, her day begins at 5:00 a.m., selling her food to the students and workers who board the train at that early hour.

"Hauling the cart around is very difficult. My legs swell and I can barely stand up. When I'm lucky, young men help me carry my cart up the stairs. The hard part is when I have to carry it by myself. My back aches because of it," she said.

Rosita stressed that her "hearing is failing" and that her vision "gets cloudy" on hot days. Her voice is very weak and her lungs "are also getting old."

"I sell my churros at two for a dollar. People buy them from me; they feel sorry for me. At my age, any money is good. Traveling every day is a challenge. My bones don't support my body anymore."

Until God says so

Rosita has been working in the subway for some years now. She doesn't remember exactly when she started, but she figures more than six years ago. Despite the hardship, Rosita plans to continue working "until God says to stop."

"I was raised to work hard. It's what I've done my whole life, from the time I was a little girl until now, when I am elderly. I am proud to lead a dignified life from the labor of my own two hands," she said.