Reverse Brain-Drain: America's New Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Part III

Social Science Research Network ^ | August 22, 2007 | Wadhwa, Vivek, Jasso, Guillermina, Rissing, Ben, Gereffi, Gary and Freeman, Richard B

[EBH]

Abstract: The founders of the United States considered intellectual property worthy of a special place in the Constitution - “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.” In today's knowledge-based economy, capturing value from intellectual capital and knowledge-based assets has gained even more importance. Global competition is no longer for the control of raw materials, but for this productive knowledge.

This paper is the third in a series of studies focusing on immigrants' contributions to the competitiveness of the U.S. economy. Earlier research revealed a dramatic increase in the contributions of foreign nationals to U.S. intellectual property over an eight-year period. In this paper, we offer a more refined measure of this change and seek to explain this increase with an analysis of the immigrant-visa backlog for skilled workers. The key finding from this research is that the number of skilled workers waiting for visas is significantly larger than the number that can be admitted to the United States. This imbalance creates the potential for a sizeable reverse brain-drain from the United States to the skilled workers' home countries.

[EBH]

(ADM. Title had to be edited due to length)

Every Sunday morning a local radio station plays the latest speaker at the Cleveland City Club. I tend to listen in and get quite agitated at the liberal speakers. Well, this morning the speaker deeply captured my interest in his discussion. And his points were and should be deeply considered by our immigration policy. As he so deftly pointed out that our policy is creating our future downfall.

We are educating thousands of foreigners in our colleges and they leave after graduating to return to their home countries, those that stay behind here in the United States go on to become entrepreneurs by some 26%.

These are the people stuck waiting in line for their green cards and citizenship. These are the people trying to do it the legal way. These are the scientists, engineers, and PhD. types.

He did not suggest amnesty for these people, but he is advocating a serious look at the "brain-drain" our own immigration policy creates...while we have millions pouring across the border illegally...to do the jobs Americans won't do.

Fascinating discussion on how these legal immigrants start business and create jobs (often high tech) for Americans vs. illegal immigrants (take jobs away).

[UCFRoadWarrior]

We should be encouraging Americans and American brain power.

This anti-American bigotry...expressed by both parties...and by the right and left....is destructive to America

[listenhillary]

those that stay behind here in the United States go on to become entrepreneurs by some 26%.

Somebody has got to do it. Our k-12 government schools seem to be attempting to stamp out any education that would encourage entrepreneurs by vilifying capitalism and capitalists.

[MarkT]

We don’t want no stinkin Ph.D.’s, scientists or doctors - we want cooks, maids and gardners - the kind of workers that will need a support system and vote Democrat.

[mgist]

"We should be encouraging Americans and American brain power."

That is the equivalent to saying "we need alternative sources of energy." It sounds good but doesn't really work so easily. You can't just wish reality away. Parents really should emphasaize a strong education and teach their children several languages. It is important for kids to be knowledgeable about the world they live in. When you look at American kids around you, do you see that? Do our schools instill a love of knowledge? NOT!