June 27, 2007--Bar the Gates
Coming through Customs yesterday at Newark Airport, the line for returning US citizens was almost nonexistent—we went through in literally two minutes. On the other hand, the line for “foreign nationals” stretched endlessly.
My first thought, “Ah, the cheap dollar. Lots of good shopping opportunities.” This was followed quickly by the further thought, “In ways other than taking in some tourist Euros and Pounds, how fortunate for us that so many “foreigners” want to come to the US because many on that long line looked as if they were coming here seeking opportunity and would be willing to work hard and smart to make the most of it. Just like my grandparents; just like your family members, no matter how long ago they passed through Ellis Island.
And then almost immediately after getting to our apartment, I made the mistake to switch on the TV, and I was again dragged back into all the hypocrisy and demagoguery surrounding the debate about the immigration bill perhaps working its way through the Senate. Feeling that I could wait to reimmerse myself in that, I wanted to try to hang on to my residual feelings of tranquilo, I turned the set off and, after unpacking and cleaning up, turned to a stack of waiting NY Times.
Another mistake. There was an article from a few days ago (linked below) that reported about how Bill Gates and the immigrant cofounder of Google, Sergey Brin, were attempting to influence one aspect of the Senate bill—to increase the number of university-graduates who could secure Green Cards. Particularly for scientists, engineers, and health care workers. In an unusual alliance between two corporate giants and fierce competitors, they are working in a coordinated way to express the concern that the current and proposed quota on the numbers of these H-1B seekers is inadequate to meet the US demand and, of perhaps greater issue, that the current draft of the bill would phase out the provision that allows companies such as Google and Microsoft to sponsor specific individuals they want to hire. That would be replaced over time by a point-system administered by the US government. Considering that we can’t seem to issue passports to our own citizens, one can only imagine how well the point-system would work.
This is yet another example of the anti-immigrant fever infecting the country. Forget for a moment how we all got here (including, by the way, so-called native-Americans who actually were our first immigrants, arriving via the land-bridge that connected what we now refer to as Siberia and Alaska); forget also how much Microsoft and Google, to cite just two examples, have in trickle-down mode contributed trillions to the US and global economies (much of it the work of “foreigners”); forget that the reason we have to import so many low- and high-skill workers is either because no “real” Americans want to pick lettuce or wash dishes or because our failing schools are not any longer turning out enough trained professionals to meet the demands of employers; but do not forget the consequences of this know-nothing, jingoistic America-first policy that ignores history—Out of frustration and bottom-line concerns Microsoft and Google are more and more outsourcing their most advanced work. If they can’t hire enough Chinese and Indian computer scientists for the US, they are moving to set up centers of innovation in India and China.
It’s as simple as that. And as consequential.
My first thought, “Ah, the cheap dollar. Lots of good shopping opportunities.” This was followed quickly by the further thought, “In ways other than taking in some tourist Euros and Pounds, how fortunate for us that so many “foreigners” want to come to the US because many on that long line looked as if they were coming here seeking opportunity and would be willing to work hard and smart to make the most of it. Just like my grandparents; just like your family members, no matter how long ago they passed through Ellis Island.
And then almost immediately after getting to our apartment, I made the mistake to switch on the TV, and I was again dragged back into all the hypocrisy and demagoguery surrounding the debate about the immigration bill perhaps working its way through the Senate. Feeling that I could wait to reimmerse myself in that, I wanted to try to hang on to my residual feelings of tranquilo, I turned the set off and, after unpacking and cleaning up, turned to a stack of waiting NY Times.
Another mistake. There was an article from a few days ago (linked below) that reported about how Bill Gates and the immigrant cofounder of Google, Sergey Brin, were attempting to influence one aspect of the Senate bill—to increase the number of university-graduates who could secure Green Cards. Particularly for scientists, engineers, and health care workers. In an unusual alliance between two corporate giants and fierce competitors, they are working in a coordinated way to express the concern that the current and proposed quota on the numbers of these H-1B seekers is inadequate to meet the US demand and, of perhaps greater issue, that the current draft of the bill would phase out the provision that allows companies such as Google and Microsoft to sponsor specific individuals they want to hire. That would be replaced over time by a point-system administered by the US government. Considering that we can’t seem to issue passports to our own citizens, one can only imagine how well the point-system would work.
This is yet another example of the anti-immigrant fever infecting the country. Forget for a moment how we all got here (including, by the way, so-called native-Americans who actually were our first immigrants, arriving via the land-bridge that connected what we now refer to as Siberia and Alaska); forget also how much Microsoft and Google, to cite just two examples, have in trickle-down mode contributed trillions to the US and global economies (much of it the work of “foreigners”); forget that the reason we have to import so many low- and high-skill workers is either because no “real” Americans want to pick lettuce or wash dishes or because our failing schools are not any longer turning out enough trained professionals to meet the demands of employers; but do not forget the consequences of this know-nothing, jingoistic America-first policy that ignores history—Out of frustration and bottom-line concerns Microsoft and Google are more and more outsourcing their most advanced work. If they can’t hire enough Chinese and Indian computer scientists for the US, they are moving to set up centers of innovation in India and China.
It’s as simple as that. And as consequential.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
11:07 AM
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