|
Get Smart - Jim Pinto's Connections for Growth & Success
America's Immigrant Ingredients
|
|
Issue # 278 (Feburary 22, 2010)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Keeping an Eye on Technology Futures
No Hidden Agendas
New Attitudes
No Platitudes
|
|
|
|
America's Immigrant Ingredients
by
Jim Pinto
In a fast-changing world, the drag
on Western Europe and Japan was their own insular, old cultures, relatively rooted
in long history.
By contrast, America was completely
different. The country was founded by immigrants and its culture was an eclectic
integration of many cultures, more than anywhere else in the world.
The thing about immigrants - and this
applies today as it did throughout history - is their willingness to adopt the ways
of their new country, and to work hard to succeed in their new world. That's what
made America what it became. Those are the roots of the "American Dream".
The first Americans were predominantly
Europeans. There were Chinese and others too, but they seemingly adapted to the
Euro-like cultures. Strange names were shortened, or anglicized, as they became
the new Americans. This was the spirit and enterprise which built the most successful,
powerful and admired country in the world.
Today America itself has become an
"old country". Paradoxically, the nation of immigrants doesn't like immigrants.
Especially in a down economy, old Americans are uncomfortable and resentful of immigrants
who are seen as "taking their jobs". Often, immigrants are confused as being "illegal",
even when they are not.
This resentment is not focused on
just low-end jobs. As a case in point, consider why Indian immigrants seem to dominate
in US Software/Hi-Tech companies, and why there is a xenophobic backlash against
managers from India at Wonderware, a software company based in Southern California,
part of Invensys. To understand the background, read the Invensys weblogs, link
below.
- Many Indian immigrants are engineers
who came to the US for higher studies. Some came with a one-way ticket, a few dollars
in their pocket, two suit-cases (one full of books and one with clothes) and a letter
of acceptance from an American graduate school.
- As these people were growing up
(during the 1970s and 80s) their backs were pretty much to the wall - failure was
not an option. Immigrant parents put a lot of value in education; their kids are
driven to do well academically, and to work hard to succeed.
- In Software (as in Medicine, count
the number of Indian doctors in major hospitals) because of their educational and
cultural background, these people kept rising to the top. Software requires engineers
who spend long hours to learn and think - it's like Math, the more you practice
the better you become.
- Through hard work and good results,
Indians started moving into marketing and senior management jobs at Wonderware.
There were always lots of Indians working at lower levels; but as soon as they were
promoted to higher levels of management, there was resentment. Why?
Now, here's a twist. NY Times columnist
Tom Friedman quotes the editor of a newspaper in India, who (tongue in cheek) proposes
immigration as the cheapest and surest way to stimulate the US economy. He wrote:
"All America needs to do is grant
visas to two million Indians, Chinese and Koreans. They'll buy up all the sub prime
homes, work 18 hours a day to pay for them, immediately improve the savings rate.
(No Indian bank today has more than 2 percent non-performing loans because not paying
your mortgage is considered shameful in India.) These immigrants will start new
companies to create their own jobs and jobs for more Americans."
Tom Friedman adds his own plea:
"America, please remember how you
got to be the wealthiest country in history. It wasn't through protectionism, or
state-owned banks or fearing free trade. No, the formula was very simple: build
this really flexible, really open economy, tolerate creative destruction so dead
capital is quickly redeployed to better ideas and companies, pour into it the most
diverse, smart and energetic immigrants from every corner of the world."
Think on this: Are YOU part of the
"old" America? Or the new?
Cheers,
Jim Pinto
jim@jimpinto.com
San Diego, CA. USA
|
|
I like to e-hear from you and will ALWAYS respond.
Please e-send your news, views and stews, your tips and alerts.
If smell something fishy in your pond, please e-let Jim know
and I'll check it out.
If you have comments or suggestions for Growth & Success
News, please contact me directly at :
Jim@JimPinto.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
