Who's Serving Your Burrito?

Wall Street darling and favorite of the commodified pseudo-ethnic chain movement Chipotle Mexican Grill is apparently in trouble as its hip and ecofriendly image abuts against a growing probe over the number of "illegal" workers they employ: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110207/ts_nm/us_usa_immigration_fastfood/print. The situation highlights the great paradox of one aspect of globalization -- the growing migration of peoples across national borders, and particularly to the Global North. On one side, it fits the neoliberal discourse of opening the world markets up to free trade and movement of capital and people. It helps supply cheap labor to industries that need it within the borders of their home country: for example, the agricultural, meatpacking and fast food industries here. And it provides opportunities for those suffering in the Global South (remember when we liked the melting pot metaphor?). On the other hand, it is true that in some cases these workers take jobs away from Americans -- for example in trade industries like construction (though it's worth noting that many fields dominated by "irregular" migrants are ones that white Americans would rarely if ever take -- for example migrant farming, child care, landscaping -- or that were once done by teenagers). It is also true that politically two intertwining realities help immigration become a wedge issue -- particularly in times of crisis. The first is the challenge to "national identity" that is brought on by immigrants that don't look or act like we do. Not only Americans, but populations across the globe fear for the loss of their home culture over time. A second issue is the perception that the immigrants from the Global south are perverting or corrupting our culture, based predominantly on stereotypes and long-standing biases that only seem to disappear if enough members of that group gain middle class or elite status. In any case, the paradox of opening or closing the borders really relates to our identity more than direct economic issues, and it is here where I fear it will stay as the proportion of the population of Latino/as continues to grow.