Maquilapolis Essay

Globalization is happening everywhere in the world nowadays. Mexico is an example that filled with transnationals, which is the sign of globalization. However, what does this trend bring to people in Mexico? As we can see form the film “Maquilapolis”, globalization changes Mexicans’ daily lives, and impacts on their living environment and health, especially for women. “Maquiladora” is a manufacturing operation in a free trade zone, where workers work with materials that are imported assembled and then exported to other countries. Admittedly, globalization can provide cheaper cost for companies and higher salaries for workers. However, the reality is those transnationals they do anything to anybody only for profits. In companies’ view, women can make better goods because they have agile hands and cheap. However, they are not humans but objects of labor. Women represent 80% of the industry’s labor force there. Tijuana is world capital of television and also filled with other kinds of factories from different countries. Many famous companies are mentioned in the film, for example, Sanyo, and Sony. And 80% of factories along the US-Mexico border are owned by the U.S. As stated both in film and the chapter, the Mexico government applies loan from The World Bank and IMF, which leads to the cutting back of social service (374). Actually, …show more content…
Most women keep silent and keep working for the factory. They never get education or training before enter to work. They are living in third world as vulnerable group. Available jobs for women are always low-paid with little flexibility but intense surveillance. Women also need to take care of their children. Some women workers in Mexico, they can only sleep for 1 to 2 hours a day, sometimes go to work without sleeping. In order to get a secure and sustainable future, women need to be self-determined democratized, which provides a strong culture elements