Visit to Maquiladora: Globalization at Work

Continuing our study of globalization issues, this week we had the opportunity to visit a maquiladora. Maquiladoras are production factories that work with clothing products, electronics and other materials that can be similarly assembled. Since the implementation of NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) in 1994, more and more U.S. companies have used maquiladoras for their production – often sending the raw materials to Mexico and then receiving the finished goods back in the U.S. However, U.S. companies are not the only ones to utilize this means of production and unfortunately, many take on sweatshop labor conditions. Long hours, lack of benefits, fear of organizing and unsafe work conditions are characteristics of some maquilas.

We visited a maquila that produces high-end swimwear – and were constantly reminded by this fact by huge photos of models in swimsuits placed around the facility. The feeling among us walking around could be described as “uncomfortable.” We had a difficult time distinguishing whether or not we should “feel bad” for watching people work – I certainly wouldn´t appreciate people (especially foreigners) walking around analyzing the work I was doing. However, that does not necessarily mean that people were unappreciative of our presence or unhappy with their work. These are not judgments we can make for ourselves, they would have to result from conversations with the workers. Unfortunately, we were only allowed conversations with managers and supervisors – both men, while the majority of workers were women. These class, gender and racial (the color of the managers was in general noticeably lighter) separations are those found in many of our interactions and help to continue the alienation we experience on either side of these divides.

Regardless of our personal feelings regarding the visit (and we all certainly had different ones), I think it is important to see the means of production in order to fully understand globalization or transnational capitalism. To read about NAFTA in a book is different to see Mexican workers cutting and sewing imported fabric that will then be re-imported back to the U.S. And confronting some uncomfortable situations of this reality is important and many of us don´t do it as much as we should. It helps us to question ourselves and challenge the structures within which we live.

One question that remains with me is: How is it possible that the women and men working in the maquila we visited will probably receive weekly wages that equal less than the amount that a woman in the United States will pay for just one bathing suit? How is this possible? What are the solutions? To find out, we will keep learning, keep discussing, keep sharing our experiences and opinions, and hopefully be closer to some answers when we are finished. Maybe we won´t, but then again, maybe we will.

-Anna Loizeaux

The Pain of Racism and Classism

We have been very busy this past week including a day visit to a nearby pueblo (village). People in this area have ancestors from many different ingenious cultures; however, the man we spoke to is from the Nahua community. He started off by stating he is indigenous and proud to be so. In Mexico and around the world, this can be a revolutionary statement.

I received a lot of information from the speaker and upon reflection, I feel strongly about what this man spoke of regarding the racism that still exists in Mexico today. I can relate in many ways, having seen the racism back home in my community in the United States. I struggle to understand and comprehend why people are so cruel towards one another on the basis of their race and this alone. After hearing this speaker discuss the various racisms amongst people of Mexico, I found this issue even more disheartening. In the U.S., people of Mexican descent are can be referred to as “Hispanic,” “Mexican,” or “Mexican-American.” To the people of the U.S., we group many of these people together as one “race” yet here in Mexico, people are very aware of their culture and ethnic identity and the complexities that they entail.

After the conquest of the Spanish, to be indigenous was to be of a lower class. Furthermore, the Spaniards began to “mix” with the people of Mexico and people were born of a lighter skin color. This lighter skin color began to have a higher status than the darker skin color. The Spaniards were at the top of the pyramid regarding class and status, so the more one appeared like a Spaniard, the higher class they appeared in the social realm of Mexico. Light-skinned people, especially with blond hair and colored eyes are still tend to be of higher status and/or class. For this reason, indigenous people have been and continue to be oppressed and to fight to keep their culture alive for more than 300 years.

Many people have forgotten the indigenous or look past them, forgetting we are all of one being – the same, no matter what our skin color is. This racism and classism is still very much a problem in today’s reality. In Mexico, we see it much in the class and status of the color of one's skin-there are places in Mexico one is not able to go to or where people are unwelcome due to the color of their skin. This is much like the USA where there is much racism amongst and toward the various different ethnic groups, races as well as discrimination toward people of non-heterosexual identity, such as people who identify as GLBTQ.

Have we all forgotten that we were made the same, we all have red blood, like the man we spoke with said, and we were meant to be on Earth as one together? Why is there so much hate and pain amongst people who are “different” than one another?

-Amy Voigt (Augsburg College)

Bringing in the New Year: Welcome to MG 2011!

Greetings friends, family and followers of Augsburg College´s the Center for Global Education and of our “Migration & Globalization: Engaging Our Communities” spring 2011 program! We are at the beginning of Week #3 and we can hardly believe it. So far the students have done scavenger hunts through the city, surveys of Cuernavaca´s extensive and impressive markets, have begun to hear personal stories of migration and have gotten introductions to Mexican and Pre-Hispanic history as well as contemporary politics and economic systems. Although the days are sometimes long, everyone has been critically engaged in the issues and working quite well as the living/learning community we strive to create. Our energy levels are up and we are so excited to see what the rest of the semester will bring!

Now let me give you a glimpse into a “normal” day here at CGE México…

Today, after Spanish class bright and early, we went with Professor Ann Lutterman-Aguilar to the Palacio de Cortés where we looked at a mural by famous Mexican artist, Diego Rivera. Rivera´s mural, “La conquista y revolución,” depicts, as the title implies, the Spanish Conquest of Mexico´s indigenous peoples as well as the Mexican Revolution beginning in 1910, which sought to overthrow the oligarchy and history of oppression that the Conquest started in 1519. Having three weeks behind them here in México, it was wonderful to see the students put to work the knowledge they have already acquired in analyzing the work – Bravo to them! As we have talked about as a group, in order to understand contemporary Mexican issues – particularly Migration and Globalization – it is crucial to understand Mexican history and how Mexicans view that history as a part of their everyday lives. The idea of “lucha” (struggle) – for freedom, for your family, for your land, for survival – is not a new concept in Mexican lives and is very much based in the histories Rivera touches on in this mural. In this way, it is so important that many MG students are studying both Mexican history as well as Mexican politics in order to understand the complexity of these issues as well as the ways they are interconnected.

Well, that´s all for now. I hope you are all well and continue to stay tuned for our weekly updates. Look for our reflections and our growth as the semester goes on!

-Anna Loizeaux (Intern - Graduate of Fordham College at Lincoln Center´s Class of 2010)

Environmental Issues In Our Own Backyard!

Although we all live in the colonia (neighborhood) San Anton, we are all so busy with daily life in Cuernavaca that it is not often when we take time to walk down the street and meet our neighbors or explore the ravines that make up our backyard. Last week the migration and globalization students had the opportunity to meet with two activists from the neighborhood who dedicate their freetime to cleaning up the ravines and educating the community about the importance of caring for the environment and being active participants in the maintenance of our physical world.

The panel of activists was put together by Professor Judy Shevelev as part of a joint effort with the program staff on the Earlham College study abroad program in Cuautla, Morelos, located an hour and a half from Cuernavaca. As a recent Earlham graduate and having studied abroad in Cuautla, the event was even more special for me as I got to reflect with the Earlham students about their experiences in Mexico and watch as the MG students were wonderful hosts and participants, actively engaged in the discussion generated by the panel. The event gave both groups of students the opportunity to spend time together as they learned more about the issues of water and trash collection systems that they have studied all semester long.

All in all, the panel proved to be very successful as students listened to the first hand accounts of those fighting for the restoration of clean rivers and the right to clean air and afterwords enjoyed each other´s company, taking the time to share stories, eat snacks and even participate in an impromptu game of fútbol! Hopefully, as they journey home in the coming month, the students will be able to take what they´ve learned from the event and implement it their own communities.
--Nora

Photo: Students getting to know each other before the panel begins

Gender Roles and Base Christian Communities

By Andy Chadwick,

Augsburg College

These past few weeks, the Migration and Globalization students have really settled in with their Mexican families. It has been an easy transition integrating into a Mexican family; they have been exceedingly welcoming and accommodating. There is so much to learn but at the same time we also have a lot in common with our families. It has been fascinating hearing the stories of our families, especially when they can relate to topics we are studying in class. It has been especially interesting to start to understand gender roles within Mexico and to have a dialogue with our families to hear their personal stories and philosophies related to this subject.

In addition to becoming settled in with our families, we, as well as the Social Work students, had the opportunity to hear two amazing women tell their personal stories regarding gender roles. These speakers put a face to the issues that we have previously learned about, regarding gender roles, from Irene Ortiz and others. They talked about the hardships they have faced in their lives due to unfair gender roles and expectations. They were treated horribly by their husbands and were not even allowed to leave the house most of the time. They each found their way to Base Christian Communities, (BCC´s) which changed their lives. They were taught to read and this allowed them to read the Bible for themselves. By studying the Bible, they realized that they shouldn't be treated this way, God created them equal to men. BCC´s, like the one these women are a part of, are autonomous religious groups based in liberation theology. Liberation theology is the idea that God is on the side of the poor and marginalized of the world. BCC´s, coupled with the influence of liberation theology, focus on material conditions and issues of class.

Our speakers opened my eyes to the hardships that women often face to achieve equality. They also showed me that there is hope for equality among the genders, that there is a way of achieving it through liberation theology and BCC´s. I kept asking myself questions like: how has being a male unfairly given me privilege or benefited me in my life to this point? How has my un-acknowledgment of this privilege furthered unfair gender roles and expectations? What can I do in the future to support women's rights without over-stepping my bounds as a male? These speakers were an eye-opening experience for all of us and this experience, I think, changed us for the better.

¡Social Movements: Tierra, Libertad, y Jugo Para Todos!

By Katy Jensen,

Emory University

This week was an exciting week for the MG students at CEMAL! Thursday, we packed our bags for a weekend travel-seminar. Destination: Mexico City and San Salvador de Atenco.

During our time in Mexico City, we had the unique opportunity to tour the Pascual factory, maker of the popular Mexican juice drink Boing! There, we learned about the workers who came together in solidarity to form this cooperative that is proud to be 100% Mexican-owned. Pascual is an important Mexican company because not only did the workers form it, but also because it supports other local social movements and co-ops. For me it was fascinating to hear about how workers came together to buy up the company and to have the ultimate say-so in how it is run. After hearing about the history, we got to tour the factory and watched as the juice was being made and bottled. It was such a sight to see as juice boxes whizzed by on the assembly lines.

Friday night and all day Saturday (April 9-10) we spent in San Salvador Atenco learning about the local solidarity movement against the government trying to seize local land to build an airport. In class, we watched a movie about the fight and imprisonment of the people of Atenco in 2006 during the struggle to protect their land. For me, it was interesting to see the real-life repercussions of this event that still endure almost four years later. In Atenco, we listened to the daily challenges that people face there as their family members and friends remain imprisoned.

Saturday, we had a chance to visit the actual fields on which the government wanted to build the airport on, and the Atenco land board explained that today the fight to protect the land continues. We noticed that while we were visiting the campo there were surveyors eager to acquire the land for a new project under the auspices of CONAGUA. Although this new project promises to make good use of the land, Atenco citizens are on edge, because this is similar to how the government went about acquiring land for their the airport project, under false pretenses. The people of Atenco will not back down in the fight to protect their land; they believe that “la lucha sigue!”

All in all, this was a very didactic week. Through our field experience, we got to apply what we learned in class and make connection to real-life events. Ultimately, we learned the value of standing up for what you believe in, in order to preserve your identity, history, and autonomy. The people we encountered at both the Pascual factory and the city of Atenco were willing to do whatever it took to fight for their freedom. For the juice company, this meant group autonomy, thus working as a cooperative. Similarly, the people of Atenco continue their fight to protect their land and liberate their compañeros from prison. The spirit and unyielding strength of the people in Atenco was truly inspiring. Although four years have passed, they still have hope for the future.

We have a lot to learn about the power of perseverance and solidarity, especially from the people of Atenco. When we join together, anything is possible. Although we may continue to struggle alone, together we are victorious.

Looking back on this week, I wonder: What is it that I would fight for? What do I value most in life? Is there anything that I would stop at nothing to defend? These thoughts pervade my mind as I recall the stories from Atenco and the Pascual factory. What matters most in life? What are my priorities? It is interesting to put these things in perspective and apply these experiences to my own life.

Photos: At top, students pose with Profesor Judy Shevelev outside of the BOING! plant; at left, students pose in the campo in Atenco.

Exchange with students from la UNAM

This week, students had the opportunity to learn more indepth about what life is like for a Mexican university student, as all participated in a week long academic exchange with a group of students from the National School of Social Work at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Throughout the course of the week, students got to know each other both inside and outside of class, as they listened to speakers, gathered in small groups to discuss social policies both in Mexico and the United States and shared stories about their lives as they enjoyed some delicious tacos.

While the week was focused primarily on themes relating to social work and learning about the differences in the profession and the policies between both nations, the migration and globalization students found that they too could relate to some of the students. Many walked away feeling as though their experience here in Cuernavaca had been enriched for having met and heard the stories of the UNAM students, many of whom travel many hours and confront many obstacles in order to pursue their education and subsequently achieve their professional goals.

As one of the UNAM students put it so eloquently when discussing the challenges of discrimination, as social workers they are determined to acknowledge the inequalities present in society and work positively to change them. Listening to her words, many of the students felt that they could relate to such a sentiment in their own efforts to combat the injustices faced by those forced to migrate in the hopes of finding a better life for themselves and for their families.

Overall, it was a wonderful week shared by all, as new friends were made and a new consciousness was gained about the experiences of university students here in Mexico.

Photo: The group poses together at the conclusion of the week-long exchange