A maquiladora is a manufacturing plant based in Mexico where foreign companies import materials and equipment, on a duty free and tariff free basis, for the purposes of processing, manufacturing, or assembling goods which are then exported to other countries. The idea behind these maquiladoras promises a prosperous Mexican society. On paper, it really does seem like NAFTA is living up to expectations; creation of more jobs and a much less unemployment rate. On the surface, there seems to be nothing wrong with what’s going on in Mexico in terms of employment. Everyone has jobs and everyone is getting paid for these jobs, so what’s the issue? Despite all of this, the degrading and terrible working conditions imposed upon the maquiladora workers …show more content…
In one case, Alma Molina, a worker in the electrical parts industry of Juarez, was laid off from her job after it was discovered that she was associated with other workers who were attempting to organize a union. From that point on, it was very difficult for Molina to find another job because she had been blacklisted by her former employer. [3] Fortunately, organizing campaigns are slowly started to emerge. Jaime Cota of the Workers Information Center in Tijuana says, “While we still have a long way to go, there are now more than 30 different groups trying to organize independent unions in the maquiladoras,” “We're trying to bring all those groups together so we can build a more effective movement.” There are many social issues associated with maquiladoras because of the mistreatments that the workers face on a day to day basis. Often times, maquiladora workers are exposed to dangerous chemicals and machinery with little to no protection. [4] These manufacturing operations are a serious concern to the Mexican society and need to be appropriately addressed by both governments and private companies
Imagine being crammed in a un-air conditioned room with hundreds of workers in the Mexico heat. Imagine sewing all day and developing sore wrists which can lead to tendonitis. Imagine after nine grueling hours of work not getting paid enough to purchase food and other necessities for your family. Maquiladoras are very well known among the Mexico and US border. They conduct under tariff free materials which are imported to the companies. The North American Free Trade Agreement has a huge advancement and have grown by employing tons of Mexican workers. NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) promised to increase workplace efficiency, help corporations, and to improve the lives of many workers. In my opinion, NAFTA did not keep their promise. They definitely did not improve the lives of many workers and everything else they guaranteed. NAFTA has not kept its promises because they work in terrible conditions, they do not get paid enough, and they are giving up hope.
When Vargas died in 1705 after repossessing the governorship in 1703, he was succeeded by Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdes. Governor Cuervo y Valdes campaigned for a more militant approach against the indigenous tribes, predominantly the Navajos, whose troublesome acts were thought to be influencing the Pueblos to resist the Spanish’s reoccupation. Cuervo in June 1705 launched successive offensive attacks against the Gila Apaches, coming back to the Navajos, who were stealing cattle from settlers and missionaries. Cuervo stated that the Navajos were troublesome because of the “continuous wars that they have carried on from the conquest of this kingdom [1598] until the general uprising of the year 1680 and which they have continued from
Now, how does the Latino culture play a part of a Latina’s self-esteem? There is this concept, Marianismo, that affects a girl's self-esteem in a good and bad way. Marianismo is the female equivalent of machismo; it is considered to be the realization of the feminine, and characterized by hyper feminine behavior. This could seem bad because it’s basically women accepting their roles, such as, housewives, in the Mexican culture.
Have you ever heard the legend about La Llorona known as “The Weeping Women”?Do you hear that? Do you hear that crying noise? People say that if you hear her cry expect death! La Llorona is real, even though people say she is she is an urban legend. There has been sightings of her in many places.
First, it is best to explore the origin and function of the maquiladora in the economy. Mexico's Border Industrialization Program of 1966 first established the maquiladoras. The plants must operate within the framework of Mexican laws, and
many of the women see themselves as objects of labor. For example in the documentary
We have read and watched a lot of information about the women and the way they are treated in their working area, specifically when we talked about the maquiladoras on the boarder. This week we are presented with another source of information about the maquiladoras and how maquiladora employees live their daily lives. The film, “Maquilapolis” by Vicky Funari and Sergio de la Torre uses a social art practice to contribute to the privileging of subalterns voices. In the film, the filmmakers start by telling the stories of a few women who worked for the maquilas and tell their experience as employees of those big corporations such as Sony, Panasonic, Sanyo, among many others. Some of these women explain how they started working since those maquiladoras opened in the 1960’s and they explain how it was a big deal to work
La Llorona is to Mexican and Chicano children, what the Bogeyman is to American kids. La Llorona is almost like a mythical monster made to scare kids into good behavior. The story is about a women who drowns her children after she is betrayed by her husband. Later, her spirit returns and roams the streets while she weeps, in search of her kids. I am sure that stories of La Llorona are almost like a household name in every Mexican home. I remember when i was a little kid, my summer days, were spent playing outside until the sunset. I’d rush home before the sun went down, because if got too dark then I’d fear that La Llorona would be lurking somewhere in the back alleys. But why is La Llorona lurking in Denver’s back alleys? Well, even though
The dictator, Rafael Loenidas Trujillo Molina, simply known as Rafael Trujillo was born October 24,1891 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. Though, he only attained an elementary education, Trujillo entered in the military in 1918. By 1929, Trujillo became The Commander and Chief of the National Army of the Dominican Republic. Trujillo then assumed the presidency in 1930 after eliminating any major threat to his presidency. Rafael Trujillo commenced his brutal era in the 1930’s in the Dominican Republic expanding his brutality across the island of Hispaniola. Hispaniola consists of two countries; Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic was the first country to face Trujillo’s wrath. Due to the fact that he was the elected
On October 24, 1981, Rafael Leónidas Trujillo was born in the city of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic and was the third child of eleven. At the age of sixteen, he got a job as a telegraph operator and stayed with that job for about three years until he diverted to a life of crime by stealing and creating a gang called “ The 42.” (Wikipedia) Later in his life, Trujillo enrolled in the Dominican Army in 1918 and was trained by the U.S Marines during their occupation in 1916-1924 because of threats of “defaulting on foreign debts”.(Wikipedia) He quickly began to gain power as he moved up the ranks. According to Britannica, it states “He rose from lieutenant to commanding colonel of the national police between 1919 and 1925, becoming a general in 1927.”
In the film, Maquilapolis: City of Factories, different Mexican women talk about their experiences with maquiladoras. Carmen Duran and Lourdes Lujan film video diaries that show how their communities are affected by maquiladoras and the experiences they have had working in maquiladoras. Mexico was first introduced to maquiladoras in the 1960s through foreign companies who arrived in order to get tax breaks and low-cost labor. In the 1990s, maquiladoras become prevalent and there were nearly 4,000 just near the border. A variety of things are assembled at different maquiladoras, as the film shows workers stating what they build at their perspective workplace. Workers assemble batteries, oxygen masks, filters, toys, and even urinary bags. The
Have you ever heard of a beautiful women but very dangerous? That is the way my parents started the story before I had all of those nightmares thinking of this very myth that my parents told me. When you finish reading this paper you’ll probably have chills running down your spines thinking about her.From the longest time my ancestors and parents can remember, that myth was told to them. La Llorona is a sad but scary mexican myth that has been in the hispanic culture for a long time. But, some people swear it is true!
The documentary problem in the story was that the employer was harsh, ruthless and did not give the workers a conducive environment as they were overworked and still paid low wages below the minimum and thus the workers merely survived (Encore Broadcast, n.p). The employer could not contend to overtime and unpaid wages which was a significant problem facing the employees. It was problematic that the workers worked for 10-14 hours without being given breaks for either eating or even going to the bathroom which had poor ventilation. Later on, after years of meager salaries, unpaid minimum and overtime wages and also domestic abuse, Maura Colorado, Maria Pineda and Lupe Hernandez come together in unison together with other employees in their struggle and campaigning for negotiable working environment and condition and also for self-empowerment which was a battle against their employer. The Latinos' workers were motivated by the three women and to the extent of the workers announcing a lawsuit for the garment company which was a problem for the company as its reputation become known to the public.
As a major contributor to the global economy, Mexico’s sweatshops have contributed to the United States’ wealth and economic growth. It is the unfortunate truth that many individual workers have suffered as a result of this prosperity. The sweatshops, known as maquiladoras, are in debate because of the ethical and lawful reasoning behind their existence and conditions. How can we, as a First-world nation, allow such industries to exist where people are denied basic and fundamental human rights? What, if any, laws and regulations are put into place for the maquiladoras? Are these laws and regulations hindering, harmful, or helpful? Are they enforced emphatically? If not, how does this affect development? After
These workers left their homes with the hope of earning a higher income to provide a better life for themselves and their families. However, these workers soon found out the only things available for them were low wages, dangerous work conditions, environmental hazards, and no protection from their government. In the documentary all employees complained of severely low wages, but the most significant complaints were from the female Maquiladora workers and the residents who lived near the maquiladoras. The female workers complained of being verbally and physically abused by their male supervisors while the residents complained of companies dumping toxic waste into local living areas. The concerns addressed by these people are not limited to the confines of this documentary. Countless urban residents in Mexico fear for their environmental safety and women fear for their well-being.