Globalization

In Motion Magazine: Is there a relationship between immigration and the "globalization" of the world's economies?

Roberto Martinez: Immigrant/refugee rights groups across the country are now moving in the direction of putting immigration in the context of a global economy, globalization, people on the move escaping poverty, hunger, civil war, and persecution. NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) kicked off that trend. When we testified at the NAFTA hearings we complained of why weren't they including immigration in the context of a financial free trade agreement. Why were they focusing on the free movement of merchandise but not on the free movement of people. Basically it's a labor issue.

California has always been impacted tremendously by immigration, not just by people from Mexico, but also by refugees and migrants from other countries. It's now estimated even by the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) that there are at least five million immigrants in the U.S. who are undocumented. California usually comes in with at least half of those immigrants, not only because of its juxtaposition to Baja California, but also it's a place where people can blend into cities like L.A. and San Francisco. There's about nine million in these cities and about a third are immigrants and refugees.

It is important that we begin addressing immigration within the context of a global economy. Globalization effects the United States because investments in other countries have impacts such as people leaving that country, the displacement of jobs, jobs moving in and out of a country.

http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/border.html