[Assam] Immigration policy
umesh sharma
jaipurschool at yahoo.com
Mon Jul 9 20:28:42 PDT 2007
Kamal-da,
I get your point about limiting family reunification to nuclear families:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_Immigration_Reform_Act_of_2007
That is certainly strange. I did not know about that.
I was talking about the current system where skilled professionals have to stand in the same queue as illiterate/semi-literate siblings, parents, wives etc of recent innigrants to USA -- which is very unfair to the skilled workers.
Though my ex-landlord (I still have stuff in his shed though) is still unmarried at 35 years of age since he is on Green Card and it would take his wife 5 years to come to USA - if she marries him today (it is easier on that front for an H1B work visa holder).
Regards - sorry for the confusion.
Umesh
kamal deka <kjit.deka at gmail.com> wrote: Haven't replied to your arguments ? If following rejoinder is not a ' reply',what else could it be ? I am pasting it again.
I am an American citizen,of course naturalised.My parents have long been dead and my brothers and sisters are well-settled in Assam.They will never migrate to the USA at this time of life.
Yes,you are right when you wrote " both family members and skilled professional have to apply thru the same channel " currently..That's the why I am concerned about the new immigration proposal,the one floated by the White House in which the visa granted under family reunification category will be done away with.And this was the moot point.The question of migration in relation to family members is tied to the question of migration in regard to the skilled workers and therefore the query of " who suffers more " should not arise.
KJD
And given that there are many more in US who would like to bring along their relative than those who are in a position to get an employer to sponsor them ----- I believe that the overwhelming majority of Green Card applicatans to US (out of half a million Indians etc - and perhaps even more so for Mexicans) are NOT the 'sharp skilled ones" but those coming becos they have family connecions here.
This is detrimental not only to US skilled labor/competitiveness interests but also to those millions in other countires who have no family connections here but only their skills and determination to succeed. Since they are both in the same boat -- the skilled, smarts, non-family based Green Card applicants suffer disproportionately
Regards.
Umesh
Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
Hi Umesh:
Allow me to butt in here for a moment.
I thought Kamal has clearly explained that his viewpoint is not due to some hidden or ulterior motives , like his plan or desire to bring his relatives into the USA.
And Santanu explained, although not in these many words, what you, as an educated young man, ought to have learned by now; that when someone advocates a point or participates in a debate about socio-political issues, it does not necessarily mean he or she has a DIRECT personal motive behind the position they take.
That is why it is uncouth to pose questions like:
" -- I wonder which category you are now in. Are you trying to get a Green Card yourself (thru employment - like me ) or you are trying to get family members come over from India."
I don't know why I have to play the bad guy in these exchanges , having to explain things with the equivalent of a hit on the head with a two by four :-(!
Subtlety, thy name is not desi!
c-da
At 7:52 PM -0700 7/8/07, umesh sharma wrote:
Santanu-da and Kamal-da,
Every debate has atleast two points of view and since Kamal-da and I seem to see things on this issue from opposite ends I assumed he has the opposite situation from mine. Perhaps he wants his relatives to come to US - just like most Latinos want to. On the other hand, those on work visas and student visas would like that they get the immigrant visa - so that they get set and perhaps get married and bring their wives along.
Umesh
kamal deka <kjit.deka at gmail.com> wrote:
So well said,Santanu. KJ
On 7/8/07, Roy, Santanu <sroy at mail.smu.edu> wrote:
I don't see why Mr. Deka's personal situation is relevant to this debate. It is unfair to pose that question and the strength of the arguments do not rest on that. It is a debate worth having and I certainly am learning from both the enunciation of both points of view.
Santanu.
-----Original Message-----
From: assam-bounces at assamnet.org on behalf of umesh sharma
Sent: Sun 7/8/2007 11:21 AM
To: kamal deka; assam at assamnet.org
Subject: Re: [Assam] Immigration policy
Kamal-da,
At thde risk of sounding like singing Ba Ba Black Sheep let me remind you that as per current US immigration policy - both family members (siblings, parents etc) and 'sharp , skilled professionals" have to apply thru the same quota/channel.
And given that there are many more in US who would like to bring along their relative than those who are in a position to get an employer to sponsor them ----- I believe that the overwhelming majority of Green Card applicatans to US (out of half a million Indians etc - and perhaps even more so for Mexicans) are NOT the 'sharp skilled ones" but those coming becos they have family connecions here.
This is detrimental not only to US skilled labor/competitiveness interests but also to those millions in other countires who have no family connections here but only their skills and determination to succeed. Since they are both in the same boat -- the skilled, smarts, non-family based Green Card applicants suffer disproportionately
-- I wonder which category you are now in. Are you trying to get a Green Card yourself (thru employment - like me ) or you are trying to get family members t come over from India.
Umesh
kamal deka < kjit.deka at gmail.com> wrote: It is impossible for me to write responses according to the individual level of comprehension.If I do that, I will land up writing---ba ba black ship.
First, you tried to advance an argument saying that family reunification program was not there 500 years ago and therefore it should not be there fore ever.That is too facile of an argument to make.Every era or every age has its own dynamics.What was held right 500 years ago may be perceived wrong in today's world.100 years ago,the slavery and segregation was a part of life here in America,does that mean those vices should have been allowed to continue till today ? Two wrongs don't make a right. The term immigration does not mean 'travel " only as you have implied.You may consult a dictionary for proper definition. Tourists and immigrants are two different things.
When did I say ' sharp guys " should not be allowed to come ? I cited the example of Dr.David Ho just to stress the point that there are thousands of cases like Dr.Ho,who created novel things after arriving in the US under family reunification program.That should have been easily understood.
You wrote that 50% of American marriages end in divorce and divorce breaks up a family.You seem to contradict yourself by saying so.That's exactly why I wrote in my previous mail pointing out to the fact that young Americans identified broken family as their greatest fear !!! Didn't I ?
You also wrote that in order to meet one's family,one should take time off to meet them.If the meaning of ' family reunification' is just to meet the family once in a while by taking time off,then we might as well forget about the reunification of spouses too.They can meet each other once in a while and that's all .Is not it ?
KJD
On 7/8/07, umesh sharma < jaipurschool at yahoo.com > wrote: So you mean that just becos one person did well and created HIV medicie so millions should be allowed in - whereas those adventurous and sharp guys who take the risk on their own should not be??
50% of American marriages end in divorces so I do not see their fear of broken families -- divorce breaks up a family does it not?
Third, if a person is a citizen of USA after coming here - I think s/he is entitld to bring along his/her spouse and underage children. It is easier to go from USA to India (22 hours) than it was for me to go from Delhi to Chennai (38 hours - by train). Most people in India never travel by plane - so have greater difficulty in meeting family -say an Assamese working in Bangalore - (40 hours atleast by train) than visiting India from USA.
Even within the country people have to move elsewhere (in India ) to look for work --so there is no cure for that. Is there? If one wants to meet family -- take some time off from work and visit them!!
Umesh
kamal deka <kjit.deka at gmail.com > wrote: First thing first.As a sovereign country, the USA has every right to be bristling with prejudices as far as immigration policy is concerned.They should not be criticized for being harsh with the potential immigrants.However ,family reunification programme has been the cornerstone for the past few decades.I can think of three reasons as to why legal immigrants should be allowed to reunite with their families.
First,a permanent class of legal immigrants who are constantly told ,their labor is welcome,but their families are not, will never be full participants in the American dream.The Oath of Allegiance had been all about ensuring that new Americans don't have divided loyalties.Now that will be enshrined in law.
Families are the bedrock of American life.Recent poll shows that young Americans identified broken families,not Iraq or global warming as their greatest fear.What message does the White House send out about family value when its action undercuts its sermon ?
Dr.David Ho,the Time magazine's man of the year in 1996, pioneered the use of protease inhibitors to treat HIV-infected patients.Thousands and thousands of Americans now have new lease on life,thanks to him.He came to the USA at the age of 12 from Taiwan to reunite with his father.
My point is that the legal and the illegal immigrants should not be thrown into the same pot to swim or sink.
KJD
On 7/7/07, umesh sharma < jaipurschool at yahoo.com > wrote: Kamal-da,
When Immigration began 500 years back in USA then there was no family reunification programs -- those who had guts and desire for adventure sailed across the oceans and never saw their families again. Some prisoners had to be sent to Australia since no one in thier right minds wanted to go to Australia -- some bribed and escaped and came back to Britain -- read Chalres Dicken's Great Expectations.
So why this pillar of immigration. Immigration means travel to a new place -- not bringing all your hometown and family and friends with you. Does it?
Umesh
kamal deka < kjit.deka at gmail.com> wrote:
Do you know that the White House is floating a new immigration proposal,which is designed to tear down another pillar of immigration policy ----family reunification?
It appears that sibling and adult children of American citizen are just out of luck,turned by a stroke of the pen from family members into strangers in the eye of law.Instead of blood-ties,people will be judged by a point system in which knowledge of English and education would be given importance rather than family value.
KJD
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Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
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Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
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Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
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Umesh Sharma
Washington D.C.
1-202-215-4328 [Cell]
Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used )
http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
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