Born Someplace Else

The impact of globalization has come in three waves. The first wave was the movement of goods and later services. The second wave was the movement of money - - the globalization of finance and investing. Both of the first two waves had their starts in the previous century. The movement of trade and money has been and continues to be a disruptive force at local, national, and international levels. The results of freer trade and the global distribution of financial products and services have been tangible and painfully to many - - to many more the tangibility has been more gain than pain. The interesting issue is one of visibility - - the increased movement of money and t-shirts lacks openness and visibility. Visibility as a function of economics and numbers - - the hidden characters of globalization.

The third wave of globalization, the wave marked by public visibility, is the movement of people. Maybe much more disruptive, because it is much more visible than the first two waves. Visibility from the context of social and cultural disruption - - a shirt made in Mexico can cost an American worker his job. A worker from Mexico might move next door, and send his children to public school and need to be spoken to in Spanish - - globalization at a very local and visible level.

Look for the third wave having a huge impact - - the United Nations estimates that there are 214 million migrants across the globe. People moving just like goods and money. This movement of people has jumped 37 percent the last two decades. In North America alone, this has translated into an 80 percent increase. The migrants also are part of the second wave - - the flow of money. Approximately $317 billion flowed home worldwide last year - - these flows not only sustain families but also help to prop up national economies.

Technology, as with the first two waves, plays a major role. From efficient transportation systems to advanced telecommunication systems - - technology has supported and sped the development of a transnational identity and culture - - which also heightens visibility. Control becomes an important issue. The first two waves have generated well established institutions and policies that attempt to monitor and control the flow of goods and the trade of money. Governments around the world will be tasked to establish similar networks of cooperation with respect to the flow of people. The increased rise of globalization coupled with global inequalities will make this an issue to watch closely.