Laboring in ''borderless'' world: The threat of globalization

Abstract

This essay explores the meaning of ''globalization'' and places the current setting of the Mexico-U.S. border in historical context with reference to the process of ''globalization.'' It argues that if the current phase of capitalism merits the new label of ''globalization,'' it does so for reasons related to the new magnitude of corporate power. Transnational corporations have the power to undermine national sovereignty and the legitimacy of political systems even in the democratic republics of the West. The essay highlights aspects of the maquiladora industry in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, and the economy of El Paso, Texas, and suggests that the experience of this border region heralds changes in store for other regions of the United States and Western Europe: ''globalization'' is bringing about a convergence between the ''First'' and ''Third'' worlds.