What lies behind the apparent paradox is the phenomenon of “the two Mexicos,” the McKinsey Global Institute’s evocative term for the extreme dualism that characterizes Mexico’s economy. Large firms, oriented toward the global economy, have done quite well, whereas traditional, informal firms – exemplified by the ubiquitous neighborhood tortillerías – have performed poorly while continuing to absorb the bulk of the economy’s work force.
这一突出的悖论背后是“双面墨西哥”现象。“双面墨西哥”是麦肯锡全球研究所（McKinsey Global Institute）发明的词汇，形容墨西哥经济的极端两面性。面向全球经济的大企业表现十分出色，而传统非正式企业——以独一无二的社区墨西哥饼店（tortillerías）为代表——表现低迷，但仍吸收了大部分劳动力。前者的成功因为后者的拖累而暗淡无光。