H-1B debate flares as EE jobless rate hits 7 percent

The Work Circuit ^ | April 15, 2003 | Margaret Quan

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

All day long I got to listen to everybody around me talking in Chinese

We have that problem at my company. The Chinese workers all sit together at a big table in the lunchroom, jabbering in Mandarin. They are very secretive about what they do, and usually keep to themselves, except when asking and American or Indian how to do something. The Americans and Indians don't like this tribal behavior and refer to them as "the Chinese Mafia". The Americans don't mind the Indians. Most of them are from the upper caste and won't work for low wages. They also speak fluent English at all times and tend to avoid hanging around in groups, preferring to hang out with the Americans. Most of them despise the Chinese. One of the biggest fallacies going is that the Asians are smart. This stereotype just isn't so. Many of them don't know what they are doing and rely on one or two smart people to do the thinking for the entire group. This makes it appear they are all doing great things. But if you watch their behavior, the whole group spends the entire day beating a path to one or two doors, asking how to do something. Once in a while, they'll have to break formation and lower themselves to ask an American (white guy)a question. They are definitely racist, and many are very anti-american, preferring to get their news from state-controlled Chinese websites. They don't admit it easily. I coaxed the admission from a young Chnese woman after we go into a debate about the war. You wouldn't believe the crackpot conspiracies she spouted. She kept referring to America as a war criminal, etc., a very rare moment of candor. When I asked her what she thought of the Chinese occupation of Tibet, she didn't even know what Tibet was! It was unbelievable. Something needs to be done. These people are working in the bowels of our most advanced technology companies and they have absolutely no loyalty to our country.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

I agree, we need to start organizing. How to begin?

You can start by writing your congresscritter, and also signing this petition

[Maximum Leader]

I'm a lawyer and I don't know how much of a growth industry law is for two reasons:
1. Most people are getting hip to the fact we need tort reform. Once it passes, a lot of personal injury lawyers as well as the insurance defense lawyers who fight them, will have a lot of free time on their hands.

2. Law firms are getting more efficient in breaking down tasks into an "assembly line". For the past 10 years, the trend is paying a junior lawyer or a paralegal $35,000, $40,000 a year to do the work and just have a partner sign off on it. In the next 10 years, you'll see the assignment e-mailed to India to be handled by Indian lawyers happy making $5,000 a year and then e-mailed back for the American lawyer to sign off on it.

It's just like every other industry, if you don't need a security clearance or personal contact with a customer, it's going to be shipped overseas.

[A. Pole]

They don't admit it easily. I coaxed the admission from a young Chnese woman after we go into a debate about the war. You wouldn't believe the crackpot conspiracies she spouted. She kept referring to America as a war criminal, etc., a very rare moment of candor.

There is nothing specific for Chinese in this aspect. Even in the countries which have governments supportive for war in Iraq - substantial majorities see this war as wrong. Even in Britain or Poland.