More Valuable Than You Think
Many Americans tend to believe that immigrants are ruining the economy. In Bring on More Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Shayan Zadeh, CEO of Zoosk, claims that immigrants don’t drain the economy and that through his company he has created 150 new jobs. Zadeh shares his difficulties applying to the University of Maryland and obtaining a Visa, which is necessary for foreign students who want to study in America. When Zadeh and his friend Alex were attending school they wanted to create their own company, but were informed they couldn’t because they weren’t citizens of the United States. They were forced to put their dreams on pause, it took Zadeh five stressful years of waiting to become a permanent resident in 2008. With immigration issues out of the way, Alex and Zadeh quickly achieved their goal of creating Zoosk. Zadeh informs the reader that during the 13 years of “immigration limbo,” while working for Microsoft, he was discouraged from professional opportunities and couldn’t leave the country. He adds that the process of becoming a citizen is so difficult that America loses talented immigrants to other countries; immigrants, who could be creating jobs and helping our economy. Zadeh concludes that he is proud to be an American but is confused as to why America rejects talented entrepreneurs whose only limitation is not being a citizen. I agree and believe that immigrants are constantly battling to achieve their dreams of a better future, that they add to our country just as much as any American, and that if we don’t do something quick, we will lose these talented human beings.
I’ve always believed that being an American citizen is a privilege; not only because my mother constantly reminds me but I’ve seen both my mother and brother stress over a virtue that was bestowed upon me for being born on the right side of the border. I remember when my brother Erick was a junior in High School he wanted to drop out. He argued that, “there was no point to graduating High School if he wasn’t going to be able to attend college.” Zadeh sheds light on this subject when he testifies, “There was only one obstacle: We had to obtain F1 visas to attend the school we’d worked so hard to get into” (Zadeh 624). His point in sharing this comment is not only to emphasize the type of struggles that are faced by filling out college applications, but how being a non-resident adds a new level of stress for immigrants. I see eye to eye with this reality because my experience with my brother confirms this, as do other friends, who have sadly given up full ride scholarships due to their immigration status. But my brother, friends, and Shayan Zadeh are not the only ones who have faced obstacles blocking their dreams, there is approximately 65,000 undocumented students who graduate from high school every year (American Immigration Council) who realize that their dreams are ideally not a possibility. The undocumented students who do attend college live with a very real fear towards finishing their degree, one that 21 year old UC Berkeley Senior, Victor (Adib), has asked himself, how do I get employed after college if I don’t have the proper documentation?
In recent years the DREAM Act has been advocated and widely proposed to be passed as a law but many have rejected this proposal (Crone) and even judged those who supported it. The reason for the debate is largely due to the fact that the DREAM Act would allow undocumented students to obtain citizenship and later residency (American Immigration Council). If this Act were to be passed, it would mean a brighter future for students like Victor who have played their cards right only to be presented with more obstacles in obtaining their dream careers due to lack of proper documentation. Since the DREAM Act is not a law, this means that states have the right to choose what parts of the DREAM Act they will implement in their educational institutions, if any. There have been 11 states who have included their own version of the DREAM Act in their communities, Utah is one of those states (American Immigration Council). These states have allowed undocumented students to be able to pay tuition as if they were a resident of the state, which has helped countless students to be able to afford secondary education.
Immigrants are an asset to our economy and there are facts, statistics, and charts to prove it. “Impossible,” some will say. “You must be reading the research selectively.” Zadeh complicates matters further when he writes, “Granting legal status to illegal immigrants alone would create 121,000 jobs per year over the next 10 years according to the Center for American Progress” (Zadeh 625). The essence of Zadeh’s argument is that through his company, Zoosk, he was able to create 150 new jobs, which could also be the future of countless entrepreneurs who desire citizenship. Here many would question, “This is just one success story, where are the other so called immigrant assets?” In his article, Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Vital for American Innovation, Yatin Mundkur maintains that, “Shanghai-born An Wang turned a $600 investment into Wang Laboratories in Boston in 1951, and nearly five decades later Russian-born Sergey Brin co-founded Google” (Mundkur). In making this comment, Mundkur urges us to look into a subject before speaking, and we will shockingly find out that “More than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants” (Mundkur). Basically, Mundkur is vocalizing the very real fact that we need immigrants. Immigrants are not only an asset if they are entrepreneurs but also if they are hopeful students like Victor and Shayan Zadeh himself. Facilitating attendance for undocumented students by allowing them to pay in state tuition like normal students, helps the educational institution’s revenue. The 11 states (Texas, California, Utah, Washington, New York, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, New Mexico, and Nebraska) have seen the difference in income since undocumented students were allowed to pay in state tuition (American Immigration Council). Even with economic hardships, there are students who don’t let that get in the way and put education before basic needs like eating and housing. There is an estimated growth of jobs in fields that will require an associate’s degree or higher, by allowing undocumented students to attend universities, they will become a future asset to the United States labor force (Mendoza). In other words, by investing in the future of undocumented students, America is in reality investing in future labor assets that will be prepared to rise to the call of action because they were helped.
Zadeh reminds us about the talent we are losing, “But many young, educated and ambitious friends of mine decided it was too difficult here, especially when countries like Canada and United Kingdom welcome their expertise” (625). His point is that he decided to continue waiting for his citizenship, which was a process of over five years, but others are not so patient, especially if there are better offers on the table. Zadeh questions why America rejects “the skilled masses that are hungry only for work, even as our economy remains stagnant” (626). In other words, Zadeh is confused as to why America would reject someone who is only trying to help the economy by making their dreams a reality, which is my exact thought... Mundkur agrees with this line of reasoning when he writes, “Today, developed countries see the problem as keeping immigrants out. Later, in the first half of the twenty-first century, the problem will be persuading them to come,” futurist George Friedman writes” (Mundkur). In making this comment, Mundkur urges us to treat the immigrants kindly, since we are on the thinnest of ice.
Today students, dreamers, and others alike fight for their right to make their dreams a reality but the problem consists. Even though some states have taken the initiative to make undocumented students’ tuition more affordable the question still remains, what use is a degree if these students can’t be legally hired for their profession? While the government has tried to pacify the clamor for citizenship by providing a temporary Band-Aid through DACA, which allows undocumented immigrants a work permit and protection from deportation, it is not as beneficial as the proposed DREAM Act law would have been for these students (Crone). The difference between DACA and the DREAM Act is that the DREAM Act would have, with time, given undocumented students peace by granting them permanent residency. DACA, while useful, is far from giving these students peace because they would have to renew their work permit every two years without a guarantee of receiving it. While it is true that not all immigrants add to the economy as entrepreneurs or students do, I still maintain that immigrants should at least be given the opportunity to be educated and give their best. Who knows, maybe in one of them lies the cure for cancer. Immigrants matter because without them America wouldn’t have countless businesses which include Google and our favorite snack, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, which was also invented by an immigrant, Richard Montañez (Luviano). Ultimately what is at stake here is America’s economic growth and push for change in the right direction. So I wonder, how much longer will we keep letting other countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada steal these beautiful minds?
Works Cited
Adib, Desiree. Undocumented Students Struggle Toward College: ABC News . 12 April 2009. Report. 26 March 2016.
American Immigration Council. The DREAM Act: American Immigration Council. 18 November 2010. Document. 26 March 2016.
Crone, Emily Starbuck. College: USA Today . 26 February 2015. Document. 26 March 2016.
Luviano, Tania. "Our American Dream: The Janitor Who Invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos." 26 March 2012. Latino Fox News. Report. 26 March 2016.
Mendoza, Fermin. "The Case for Undocumented Students in Higher Education." n.d. http://www.fullerton.edu/ab540/_resources/docs/undocases.pdf. Document. 26 March 2016.
Mundkur, Yatin. "Forbes.com." 23 January 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2014/01/23/immigrant-entrepreneurs-vital-for-american-innovation/. Article. 22 September 2015.
Zadeh, Shayan. "Bring on More Immigrant Entrepreneurs." Graff, Gerald. They Say I Say with Readings. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. , 2015. 623-626.
Works Cited for Photographs
Adib, Desiree. Undocumented Students Struggle Toward College: ABC News . 12 April 2009. Report. 26 March 2016.
Mendoza, Fermin. "The Case of Undocumented Students in Higher Education." n.d. http://www.fullerton.edu/ab540/_resources/docs/undocases.pdf. Graph. 26 March 2016.
Shayan Zadeh. "About: Shayan Zadeh." 13 January 2015. Shayan Zadeh. Photograph. 26 March 2016.
Luviano, Tania. "Our American Dream: The Janitor Who Invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos." 26 March 2012. Latino Fox News. Report. 26 March 2016.
Adib, Desiree. Undocumented Students Struggle Toward College: ABC News . 12 April 2009. Report. 26 March 2016.
American Immigration Council. The DREAM Act: American Immigration Council. 18 November 2010. Document. 26 March 2016.
Crone, Emily Starbuck. College: USA Today . 26 February 2015. Document. 26 March 2016.
Luviano, Tania. "Our American Dream: The Janitor Who Invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos." 26 March 2012. Latino Fox News. Report. 26 March 2016.
Mendoza, Fermin. "The Case for Undocumented Students in Higher Education." n.d. http://www.fullerton.edu/ab540/_resources/docs/undocases.pdf. Document. 26 March 2016.
Mundkur, Yatin. "Forbes.com." 23 January 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2014/01/23/immigrant-entrepreneurs-vital-for-american-innovation/. Article. 22 September 2015.
Zadeh, Shayan. "Bring on More Immigrant Entrepreneurs." Graff, Gerald. They Say I Say with Readings. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. , 2015. 623-626.
Works Cited for Photographs
Adib, Desiree. Undocumented Students Struggle Toward College: ABC News . 12 April 2009. Report. 26 March 2016.
Mendoza, Fermin. "The Case of Undocumented Students in Higher Education." n.d. http://www.fullerton.edu/ab540/_resources/docs/undocases.pdf. Graph. 26 March 2016.
Shayan Zadeh. "About: Shayan Zadeh." 13 January 2015. Shayan Zadeh. Photograph. 26 March 2016.
Luviano, Tania. "Our American Dream: The Janitor Who Invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos." 26 March 2012. Latino Fox News. Report. 26 March 2016.