Comments on: H1-B http://voidptr.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/h1-b/ webulous wordplay Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:55:43 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Samuel Mikel Bowles http://voidptr.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/h1-b/#comment-22 Samuel Mikel Bowles Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:26:06 +0000 http://voidptr.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/h1-b/#comment-22 You are dealing with a number of concepts in this post without breaking them out into their requisite parts. There are both immigrants in the US illegally and legally and one small subset of legal immigrants hold a special H1-B permit. That said you begin your post positing that, "There is a persistent idea that immigrants take away domestic jobs because they get paid less". To which you ask, " Can this actually be true, or is it just a myth borne of anti-immigrant sentiment?" Here is a story from This American Life (listen to the one called Cowboys & Indians) that deals with an actual case of immigrants taking American jobs: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=344 I do not think that this is as rare a case as many would like to believe. There are many people in the USA who would and do take advantage of immigrant fear, language barriers, and in some cases lack of education. Do immigrants take American jobs? Here are some questions for that question: - Which jobs? Low-wage blue collar jobs (which the large majority of immigrants hold) or the high(er) wage jobs that are usually held by H1-Bs? - Who says who's job a job is? Are Americans entitled to these jobs? And why? - Are immigrants taking jobs or keeping them? Many blue collar jobs would otherwise be outsourced. Is it possible that immigrants are simply keeping them within our borders? You are dealing with a number of concepts in this post without breaking them out into their requisite parts. There are both immigrants in the US illegally and legally and one small subset of legal immigrants hold a special H1-B permit.

That said you begin your post positing that, “There is a persistent idea that immigrants take away domestic jobs because they get paid less”. To which you ask, ” Can this actually be true, or is it just a myth borne of anti-immigrant sentiment?”

Here is a story from This American Life (listen to the one called Cowboys & Indians) that deals with an actual case of immigrants taking American jobs:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=344

I do not think that this is as rare a case as many would like to believe. There are many people in the USA who would and do take advantage of immigrant fear, language barriers, and in some cases lack of education.

Do immigrants take American jobs?

Here are some questions for that question:

- Which jobs? Low-wage blue collar jobs (which the large majority of immigrants hold) or the high(er) wage
jobs that are usually held by H1-Bs?

- Who says who’s job a job is? Are Americans entitled to these jobs? And why?

- Are immigrants taking jobs or keeping them? Many blue collar jobs would otherwise be outsourced. Is it possible that immigrants are simply keeping them within our borders?

]]> By: Anacoqui http://voidptr.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/h1-b/#comment-17 Anacoqui Thu, 29 May 2008 14:13:40 +0000 http://voidptr.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/h1-b/#comment-17 I think the common immigrants are driving down our salaries comment is not about H1-B visa toting immigrants outside of IT jobs. I think most people have little if any understanding about how those visas work. I think that train of thought comes from the changes in agriculture, and textile and meat packing plant jobs. The idea is that because those jobs are not competitively priced, at least not enough to attract native workers because there are plenty of non-visa carrying immigrants willing to to do the work. And because they lack legal immigration status those employers then abuse them, by denying them safe working conditions. That all then gets simplified to immigrants will work for less and are taking away our jobs. I think the common immigrants are driving down our salaries comment is not about H1-B visa toting immigrants outside of IT jobs. I think most people have little if any understanding about how those visas work. I think that train of thought comes from the changes in agriculture, and textile and meat packing plant jobs. The idea is that because those jobs are not competitively priced, at least not enough to attract native workers because there are plenty of non-visa carrying immigrants willing to to do the work. And because they lack legal immigration status those employers then abuse them, by denying them safe working conditions. That all then gets simplified to immigrants will work for less and are taking away our jobs.

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