The idea of "global" enterprise is usually addressed in terms of trade balances and shifts of industrial capacity. But some aspects of the new reality are hard to see and quite surprising. PNS commentator Benjamin Read is a freelance writer from Casper, Wyoming.

On the other side of the globe, as far from their homeland as it is possible to be, a small community of Indonesians is coming together in this resort town in the northern Rockies.

As with many others fleeing political and economic turmoil, these emigrants have entered an unfamiliar world that is sometimes only marginally more secure than what they left behind.

"Indonesian people don't know anything about Wyoming and especially Jackson," said Franz, a Christian from Manado, who like other Indonesians has adopted an easy-to-pronounce version of his name.

"They have to open the map and then see where is Wyoming. It's scary for them to come here, maybe because it's so cold or too far. They don't understand why we come here."

Unlike the many seasonal Hispanic workers who come to Jackson, the Indonesians are likely to come from middle class, non-agrarian backgrounds.

Most of those now living here first came to Jackson via employment contractors who place workers in Chinese restaurants around the country. In return for lodging, tips and a base wage of as little as $200 per month, the waiters work 60 to 80 hours per week. This arrangement offers some job security and it means they do not have to venture too far into the unfamiliar American heartland.

Turnover is high, and during the off-season several of the local Indonesian waiters have moved on to new postings in Billings, Cheyenne and Idaho Falls. Others, like Steve and Ari, found apartments and now work independently. Local Chinese restaurant owners are not at all happy to see this independent community spring up, because new agency employees who come to Jackson find their brethren and begin to think about their options.

Many Indonesians have strong English language skills, which is one reason why they are sought by Chinese restaurants. Their language, Bahasa Indonesia, adopted officially during the 1960s, employs the western alphabet in its written form, which is based on the sounds of English, so it is relatively easy for Indonesians to learn English.

Steve, who has an advanced degree in architecture, fled Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city (2.4 million), after the small ethnic Chinese community was attacked by Indonesian Muslims in 1997. He has applied for political asylum because he is convinced, like other ethnic Chinese Indonesians in Jackson, that ethnic strife will escalate.

Historically, the Chinese and Christian communities in Indonesia have been the most successful economically. Steve fears that the economy will continue to weaken and the search for scapegoats will intensify.

Ari, who grew up in a Hindu family in a tourist town on Bali, lives with a Russian girlfriend in a condominium with a group of eastern Europeans. Four of the other Indonesians share a two-bedroom apartment. They typically work in several jobs to get by and, when possible, send money home.

The Indonesians, like young Americans and other foreign workers, play a vital role in a seasonal economy where wages are low in relationship to housing costs. But the Indonesians are more likely to be victimized by unscrupulous employers than Americans, who can drop back into more secure settings.

Most find life in Jackson agreeable. "People here are friendly. They always say hello," said Franz. "They want to know where we are coming from, because we are different. They like to talk to us."

"Peace and safety" attracted Steve. He first lived in Los Angeles. "I really didn't like it there. There were too many crimes and bad people. It was much more dangerous than my city was in Indonesia."

But making a life in Jackson is not necessarily easy given high costs and low off-season paychecks.

Because they have middle class expectations, and reject the extremely crowded housing conditions that are a way of life for short-term Hispanic workers, and because they avoid heavy, though better-paid work in construction and other blue collar fields, the Indonesians are not necessarily better off materially.

During the off-season, hundreds of Mexican workers go home to their families with their savings. Next spring, many will return on new seasonal visas. These are procured by their employers, but must be picked up in the recipient's country of origin.

This seasonal shuttle is not practical for the Indonesians. The cost of commuting is prohibitive, and the procedures for obtaining seasonal visas are not so well established in Indonesia as they are in Mexico. Indeed, the Indonesians feel that re-entering the United States may well be impossible.