Sunday, July 13, 2008

Brain Drain

These engineers, scientists, doctors, and researchers entered the country legally to study or to work. They contributed to U.S. economic growth and global competitiveness. Now we’ve set the stage for them to return to countries such as India and China, where the economies are booming and their skills are in great demand. U.S. businesses large and small stand to lose critical talent, and workers who have gained valuable experience and knowledge of American industry will become potential competitors.




Read the rest of Vivek Wadhwa's article from The American on America's other immigration crisis.

3 comments:

Pete Warden said...

Great find Michael. I've just spent the last 7 years working through the H1B process as an engineer at Apple, and finally got my permanent resident status this year, but the process was long and uncertain.

I kept with it because I love this country, but giving H1B immigrants a predictable path to citizenship seems like a win for everyone.

Anonymous said...

The fact that immigration is harder is not at the root of the problem. I know so many people who have US citizenship or green cards but are of Chinese/Indian origin that have chosen to move back to greener pastures in their countries of birth. The key thing here is that global corporations that previously used the US as their base to grow their high technology products are finding their bases in these countries. People just naturally move to where the opportunities are ! And they don’t find them in America at the levels this country boasted earlier.

Michael Wade said...

I think both of these comments raise important points.

Pete,

I'm glad you stayed with it. Let me know when you become a citizen. Our country will be the better for it.

Americandesi,

You're correct. Certainly the economic incentive isn't what it once was as many find their native land's economy is surging. At the same time, the United States continues to offer advantages that go far beyond the economic.