I'm in favor of immigration generally, but I actually agree with the cultural argument here. The toxic culture really shows up in interviewing. Recently I've repeatedly had to deal with interviewees obviously cheating with AI tools. Also, while I agree that folks on H-1 visas are around the same qualification-wise as citizens, I also agree that their primary interest is always their visa, not doing a good job as an employee.
I don't know what the solution is but I don't feel like making it easier is going to be helping either. I'm not entirely sure if this toxic culture would go away as soon as people have green cards. After all, this culture is alive and well in the countries these people are from.
The bad culture isn't just due to being locked into a job or it being hard to get a new job. It is a core component of their belief system. I see this as soon as people from these places get promoted to a manager - they literally turn into the thing they hated the most on the first day! It seems to me to be completely cultural.
Sure, but you have selection effects at the end of a really brutal pipeline from their perspective, so the culture of people conditioned on going through this process is always going to be kinda an asshole.
People go into banking and have shitty hours and culture because there's a nice rewarding story at the end of it (money, prestige, whatever) - similar to what would be at the end of moving somewhere prosperous. The problem with banking culture isn't an inherent problem with American culture, it's merely a product of a system where you have such a hiring system.
Unlike in banking, however, the toxic culture isn't a product of a company or market forces, but the outcome of such a restrictive visa regime. Change the visa regime, and the culture (eventually, you have to give it a generation) also changes.
Agree completely. My opinion is that if you earn a certain amount and therefore pay a certain amount in taxes for 2-3 years, you should become a citizen, period.
