American Brain Drain
If you're not yet sufficiently worried about American decline, this article should do the trick:
In growing numbers, experts say, highly educated children of immigrants to the United States are uprooting themselves and moving to their ancestral countries. They are embracing homelands that their parents once spurned but that are now economic powers. ...
Enterprising Americans have always sought opportunities abroad. But this new wave underscores the evolving nature of global migration, and the challenges to American economic supremacy and competitiveness.
In interviews, many of these Americans said they did not know how long they would live abroad; some said it was possible that they would remain expatriates for many years, if not for the rest of their lives.
Their decisions to leave have, in many cases, troubled their immigrant parents. Yet most said they had been pushed by the dismal hiring climate in the United States or pulled by prospects abroad.
“Markets are opening; people are coming up with ideas every day; there’s so much opportunity to mold and create,” said Mr. Kapadia, now a researcher at Gateway House, a new foreign-policy research organization in Mumbai. “People here are running much faster than the people in Washington.”
For generations, the world’s less-developed countries have suffered so-called brain drain — the flight of many of their best and brightest to the West. That has not stopped, but now a reverse flow has begun, particularly to countries like China and India and, to a lesser extent, Brazil and Russia.
On the bright side, I'm intrigued to learn about Gateway House. In fact, I think I'll send them a copy of my CV.
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May '10
Re: American Brain Drain
Another factor may be that much of the world has modernized extensively in the last 40 years and you can live, more or less, as you would in the USA, if you don't mind occasional power failures. Internet access is also a big factor. And satellite tv. They make the boondocks seem like the big city.
Re: American Brain Drain
And if the article itself isn't depressing enough, look at the comments. This is from Garlic Toast of Kansas:
Well the good news is, according to Mr. or Mrs. Toast, us stupid conservatives are winning.
Edited on April 17, 2012 at 6:52amJul '10
Re: American Brain Drain
I'm not too worried about any brain drain. I suppose it's typical that the NYT would focus on the "highly educated" angle. I think the U.S. has an abundance of two groups of youngsters: the over credentialed, and the nearly ignorant. A gumption drain though... that is a different matter. That might be cause for concern. I'll reserve judgment for now.
Which is clearly emphasized by the fact that the article is based almost entirely on anecdotal evidence. Since I'm in full crank mode I'll also note that this story:
doesn't quite terrify me. But maybe that's just me.
Jun '10
Re: American Brain Drain
Freedom is a great thing, but only when it's built on some framework of self-discipline. It's the self-discipline that's collapsing around us. We all know that our politicians have no discipline. But neither do our trial lawyers, our environmentalists, our labor unions, our welfare recipients, or anybody with a credit card burning a hole in their pocket. They don't see how their personal lack of discipline, and lack of humility, affects the health of the whole. We're seeing what happens when you spoil children. You end up with spoiled adults that will take the greatest political institution on the face of the Earth, and slowly bankrupt it, and ruin it. Maybe without understanding the precise reason, some smart people with options are looking for cultures with more self-discipline, because their future prosperity depends on it.
Aug '11
Re: American Brain Drain
This is your brain on H1-B.
Jul '11
Re: American Brain Drain
Hey if I see a better opportunity in another country then I am out of here. Color me drainable. Now I just have to find somebody that wants my used brain.
Jul '11
Re: American Brain Drain
Fear of what our government is capable of drives some folks, especially some of the very wealthy. Dual citizenship is wonderful thing if it can be achieved.
Feb '12
Re: American Brain Drain
Since the article is mostly anecdotal, my anecdotes are as good as any :)
American software companies and IS departments are still a magnet for best and brightest from all over the world. And "second generation" immigrants are going back to establish outsourcing hubs that will be oriented on American economy. And, frankly, I'll take that observation over one from director of the Asian Pacific American Studies Program (your college tuition at work)!
Apr '11
Re: American Brain Drain
Dual citizenship is a crock...and should be resisted at all costs. Darn it you have to pick. It's fine to be a Romanian in America, or an American in Romania but you can't both be a Romanian and an American unless the two are to mean nothing.
Maybe that is the way things are going, and who knows all these Americans moving abroad will probably be good for the world. Make it more American, a lot of places could certainly use it. I would not worry though about American brain drain...to me that concept seems stupid in an age when information flows so freely across national boarders. I mean most companies that develop new technologies are all international affairs any way. Scientific research is all published, in journals any one with an internet connection can get (half of them are even free to view). What are we really loosing then aside from tax dollars?
Jul '11
Re: American Brain Drain
Great post Virshu.
Oct '10
Re: American Brain Drain
It doesn't seem much of a drain if there are flows both ways. Let us not forget that the idea that it is not normal to live in a different country (or several different countries) from that in which one was born only relates to a relatively short period of human history. Indeed, you could argue that it only really relates to a short period following the Second World War.
Jul '11
Re: American Brain Drain
Well Valiuth I understand your point but I fear a leftist tyranny and expatriating is one way to go Galt. Already asset seizure is an issue for such actions.
Jan '12
Re: American Brain Drain
The days of the immigrant being lost to his/her mother country are long gone. The web has made living in another country one long lasting visit. Contacts with 'Home' are maintained throught email and social media and cultural connections are maintained through on line newspapers.
I lived in the States in the 90's for a couple of years. I'm a member of Ricochet and also read the Washington Post, The Hill, The Atlantic. My favorite radio program is 'King's Country' on Live365 from Beaumont, TX.
Gone no longer means forgotten.
Dec '10
Re: American Brain Drain
Nobody has said anything about one of our journalists going off to live in Turkey.
Apr '12
Re: American Brain Drain
Valiuth is correct about dual citizenship. Apologies for harping on about Canada, but immigrants get citizenship with the health care benefits, return to their country, do not pay taxes and then return to use the health care when required. Meanwhile, my retired husband just paid fifty two percent tax on his retirement income and our tax day to mark when you stop working to pay for government is the end of June. Do you remember Lebanon being bombed and being evacuated? It showed Lebonese Canadians in the thousands who had not contributed but then came to Canada to use the health care and free housing, schooling, etc. The evacuation cost $100M and 60,000 people came back. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/updates/archives/hu_06/evacuees_lebanon.html
Apr '11
Re: American Brain Drain
Creative destruction at work. This is an example of the laissez-faire movement of workers to find a better situation and satisfy demand for certain skills and experience. It will benefit everyone. One country loses workers which leaves more possibilities for those who remain, one country gains workers with useful skills and experience, the workers gain new opportunity and knowledge.
Even with the economic collapse, the war on terror, and less immigrant friendly policies the US still dwarfs other countries in net immigration and immigration of skilled individuals.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/06/chart-more-college-educated-immigrants-low-skilled-ones-us/38705/
http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/charts/5.1.shtml
Another way to look at this is skilled young Americans are auctioning their abilities not just in the US job market but in the world job market.
Jun '10
Re: American Brain Drain
I think etoiledunord nails it above. Our domestic problems are far more potentially damaging than the so-called brain drain. Education alone has manifestly failed to prepare our youth for the challenges of the future. We routinely graduate kids who don't know their multiplication tables. They are mathematically illiterate. The lack of basic skills means that the potential for higher order thinking gets truncated. This is the danger. We're producing a(nother) generation who literally can't think!
Dec '11
Re: American Brain Drain
Ethan Safron: And if the article itself isn't depressing enough, look at the comments. This is from Garlic Toast of Kansas:
Well the good news is, according to Mr. or Mrs. Toast, us stupid conservatives are winning. · 9 hours ago
Edited 9 hours ago
No there are endless places to live to live in the type of government she wants. Its just that outside of tourist areas they are all poor, terrible, and in the process of collapsing as societies.
Apr '11
Re: American Brain Drain
I don't buy this whole cultures with more self discipline idea. Which cultures are these exactly? China? I thought we used to call this kind of discipline dictatorship. People are looking for money and like always we are willing to go anywhere if the price is right.
The modern world is allowing for the true integration of global economics, this means all markets for all goods and services will become global. In an ideal market there would be no difference or barrier for people to travel to any location to do work. So unemployed factory workers in America would just move to opened factories in China or Mexico. I don't think people will like this, I'm not sure I like it...but that is where I see all of this going.
Sep '10
Re: American Brain Drain
I have a good mind and would not be surprised to find myself living in another country before I pass (all things being equal and all that—no tempting the fates here!). As Rose Wilder Lane, author of the wonderful The Discovery of Freedom, wrote, it's the American principles that attach me to this country. If those are transformed into something that is not free I doubt I will feel emotionally attached. (Admittedly, freedom has been greatly attenuated in recent decades, and especially of late, the obviousness of the power grab has become nothing short of overt) . Doesn't mean there will be anywhere else to go, but in my mind I will know that the greatest discovery has been lost.