BorderLinks trip to Nogales, Mexico

            I think most Americans are happy to be in a country that provides a strong economy, and the support of a government to protect and serve the people. In regards to Mexico, these and other issues do not seem to be the vision of their government. However, on a recent trip to Nogales, Mexico with an organization called BorderLinks, I found myself both pleased and disappointed with the Mexican government regarding the rules and regulations of their people.

            I was really impressed with how the maquiladora we visited provided great benefits for their employees. On our way down to Tucson, we watched the video “Maquila: A Tale of Two Mexicos” on a maquiladora, in Texas, and it made them seem as if they were nothing but trouble. The people interviewed in the movie were disappointed with the pay, benefits, and safety that the maquiladoras offered. According to “We Are Not Machines: Corporations that bring jobs must bring justice too”, author Maria Guadalupe Torres states, “Many workers have carpal tunnel syndrome from repetitious work… There are tremendous health problems-and it’s getting worse” (Torres 17). The article is about the author’s life as a maquiladora worker and the struggles she and others had to endure to receive rights and make their voices heard. Based on this article and the film, I had a vision in my head that all of these factories were causing trouble for the people and communities of the northern cities in Mexico. I was anxious to speak to the representative from a maquiladora we visited to bring up these issues. She surprised me by telling our class that the employees are given vacation time, medical and dental benefits, retirement plans, and provided shuttles to and from work. I had no idea that companies in Mexico were being run like they are here in the United States. Even though the employees were only getting paid $7 per day, it was higher than any other wages in Nogales. I came on this trip thinking the people were getting treated unfairly, but came away impressed that they were running their company similar to that in America. The difference between an American company and a maquiladora is that maquilas don’t pay local tax. This would be a big benefit to the city as it would help keep up with the demands of tremendous growth in northern Mexico. Of course, we only got to hear the manager of Human Resources’ point of view and thoughts, and not the employees. Nevertheless, in the long run, this is a good start for any company that is being operated in Mexico. The country seems to be going in the right direction (with a few glitches here and there), which comes to my next point.

            Even though there are some companies paying employees $7 per day, the prices of foods and other commodities are high for their standard of living. An example would be milk. “I worked 3 ½ hours to buy a gallon of milk” (Torres 17). This was coming from a dedicated maquiladora employee working a forty-hour week. Mexicans end up paying three to four times more for goods than Americans. In “Unions Without Borders”, author David Bacon states, “During the past two decades of economic reforms, the income of Mexican workers has lost 76 percent of its purchasing power” (Bacon 31). This article ranges from topics of whether NAFTA was good or bad to Mexico’s economy, to safety working conditions under new companies in Mexico. The quote is basically a summary of how difficult it is to have a good life anywhere without the backing of a strong government. Even though there are American corporations in Mexico, the economy doesn’t seem to get better. This could be due to the fact that food and other necessities are highly priced for the wages made in Mexico. I believe that the government is at fault and should step in to either lower the prices of goods in Mexico, or try to find a way to raise the minimum wage rate. It is no wonder over half of the population is living in extreme poverty levels. A box of diapers in Mexico costs the equivalent of about $60 in the U.S.! How can they afford that? The main reason Mexicans try to come to America is to improve their quality of life by making more money and maintaining their anxiety to keep pace with the rising prices. The Mexican government should try to find a way to gain economic improvement.

            In conclusion, the two main aspects that I found to be interesting on our visit to Mexico with BorderLinks include the maquiladora factories, and the high inflation that is faced in Mexico. Again, the Mexican government has to come up with ways to improve the value of money and life for its people, in order for them to live happy and successful lives in their own country.