In college two of my roommates were immigrants from China. One day we were talking about the fact China is regarded as a source of “successful” immigrants in the U.S. This led to a lively discussion of stereoptypes of Chinese immigrants in California from Chinese laundries in the Wild West to Bruce Lee smashing the “No Chinese or Dogs Allowed” sign in Fist of Fury. I learned that the image of the smart, professional, “model” Chinese immigrant is relatively recent, and one of the costs of projecting that image was increased stratification among the immigrants themselves. For instance, “F.O.B.” (Fresh Off the Boat) had become a common insult, implying a whole set of low status traits: poverty, illiteracy, unfamiliarity with the social codes that are the key to masquerading as high status in the U.S.

As the political leaders of the U.S. fight tooth and nail over the fate of illegal immigrants (widely perceived to be poor, needy outsiders), they are issuing engraved invitations for sports heroes and highly skilled technology professionals. Countries all over the world are tailoring their policies to select the good immigrants. The irony is that by denying opportunity to the poor and friendless, the U.S. adds incentive to the international corruption that currently distorts the distribution of visas. While grandstanding politicians justify special visas as an opportunity to reel in only the best and the brightest, what we get in the end is the people who had the money and connections to cut to the front of the visa line. Does the U.S. public really want the over-privileged brats who bribed and cheated their way into the country more than hard-working people who, while they may have been denied the opportunity to develop specialized skills themselves, will raise children who could flower in the U.S. education system? The U.S. already opens the door for science and technology students just on the assumption that they may contribute to the U.S. economy when they graduate. Gambling that the education system will cultivate talent may prove to be a safer bet than letting people who bought their H1-B visa build our banking, health care, and military systems.