Microenterprise as a practical alternative to maquiladoras

Examines alternative ways to foster microenterprises in developing countries. Microenterprises, in contrast to maquiladoras (assembly or processing plants), contribute to just relationships in the workplace and to human development. In today’s global economy, US corporations have established a number of maquiladoras in Latin America and the Caribbean that have benefitted them as foreign owners but have had some deleterious effects on the workers and economies of the countries. US financial institutions and non‐profit organizations are providing micro‐financing, training and organization to promote microenterprises in developing countries. These enterprises, though small, contribute to self‐sufficient development at the grassroots level.