Mark Zuckerberg’s Fight For Immigration Reform

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Yesterday, I wrote a piece here that highlighted Mark Zuckerberg’s and other Silicon Valley heavyweights’ fight for immigration reform through the formation of a political organization entitled FWD:us. It included a number of quotes that, admittedly, would sound a bit like “sound bites” if they were spoken rather than read. Perhaps you remember, “We have a strange immigration policy for a nation of immigrants,” and “My great-grandparents came through Ellis Island,” wrote Zuckerberg in The Washington post. “My grandfathers were a mailman and a police officer. My parents are doctors. I started a company. None of this could have happened without a welcoming immigration policy, a great education system and the world’s leading scientific community that created the Internet.”

For those that read these statements, few would be hard-pressed to argue the merits of each statement. And while The Washington Post is by no means a liberal leaning newspaper, quite the opposite, it is still a newspaper. Something that far and away too many Americans only use for is when training their puppies to go outside to take care of their business. Additionally, a number of these same people presumably didn’t have these newspapers on hand but simply pulled their pick-up truck up to someone’s recycling and helped them into their possession.

Immigration reform, or lack thereof, is rooted in ignorance and isn’t going anywhere fast. This ignorance, of at least half the country, stems from outdated prejudice which has led us to become a polarized nation. This polarization has led, in part, to Washington’s inability to function without rancor and for many in Congress to respect the wishes of their foolish constituencies.

 I find it a touch ironic that most that wouldn’t offer a path to citizenship for ten million undocumented workers seem to love Jesus Christ but have a big problem with Jesus Martinez.

Our porous southern border and wholesale ignorance, however, is costing the United States jobs. But not in the way you might think. The “Mexican Problem” has created a brain drain.

”Why do we kick out the more than 40 percent of math and science graduate students who are not U.S. citizens after educating them?” Zuckerberg asked. “Why do we offer so few H-1B visas for talented specialists that the supply runs out within days of becoming available each year, even though we know each of these jobs will create two or three more American jobs in return? Why don’t we let entrepreneurs move here when they have what it takes to start companies that will create even more jobs?”

Well Mark, I think I answered that. But you unlike me, may have the money to fix it.

“Both the Democrats and the Republicans agree that we want the entrepreneurs, the scientists, the doctors, the researchers,” “Both the Democrats and the Republicans agree that we want the entrepreneurs, the scientists, the doctors, the researchers,” Vivek Wadhwa told Sam Gustin at Time Magazine last fall.

While I agree with the eloquence of that “Immigrant Soundin’ Vivek,” I just think we’re stupid.

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