9 ms·

I'm Asian/Canadian (arrived in Canada in 1988 at 8) and have worked in the US since 2009. I consider myself a 0.5 generation immigrant. Talking my parents, oth

I'm Asian/Canadian (arrived in Canada in 1988 at 8) and have worked in the US since 2009. I consider myself a 0.5 generation immigrant. Talking my parents, other first generation immigrants, and even some second generation etc. They do have a common view. If we came here with very little (my parents arrived with $200 in their pockets), worked hard, and eventually became successful then why can't other people do the same. These people had much easier start then us (they didn't coming here at mid 40s with $200 in total) and had better opportunities. Most of them see people collecting welfare we leeches off them (and the taxes they pay).

azinman2 9y ago
Drug addiction, mental illness, little education / scaffolding, no family support, etc. Their view that if they did it why can’t others is the same as the libertarian / rich people perspective of “I got mine, you should be able to get yours.” Except not all people are the same, not all people have the same abilities, support, drive, etc. One should have compassion for those unable to help themselves. There will always be people trying to exploit a common good, but that doesn’t mean they’re the majority. If you’re willing to risk everything by moving to a new country with no money where you might not even speak the language, you’re have above average drive and appetite for risk. For example, grandchildren of such immigrants do not share the same economic outlook [1]. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/19/upshot/race-class-white-and-black-men.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/19/upshot/race-c...
- NedIsakoff 9y ago
  If you talk to the group, their answer to drug addiction is its their fault for starting drugs. For family support, they had none when the came here and had very little opportunity too. My mom's first job was an sewing machine operator in a garment shop in Halifax. My wife's mom had barely finished grade 8 school. Note that this is my oberservation of their views only.
jopsen 9y ago
Probably your parents had enoumous will power, most people don't migrate to another country. Immigrants are not representative of the general population. Often they are stronger in many ways :) Similarly, you can ask why didn't everybody from their native country emigrate. Just my random guess...
- NedIsakoff 9y ago
  My dad would they they weren't persecuted like he was. His biggest mistake was talking too long to a foreign academic who was giving a lecture at the university where he was.
dis-sys 9y ago
> If we came here with very little (my parents arrived with $200 in their pockets), worked hard, and eventually became successful then why can't other people do the same. such logic error is called "survival bias" - they only look at those who didn't fail by the system.
- NedIsakoff 9y ago
  Of course, but that is their point of view.
  - antisthenes 9y ago
    That just makes their point of view wrong. I'm not sure what you're saying here.
    - lostmsu 9y ago
      It does not make it wrong. Only potentially wrong.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
pedrosorio 9y ago
> I consider myself a 0.5 generation immigrant. I believe this is usually referred to as 1.5 generation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrant_generations#1.5_generation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrant_generations#1.5_gene...
antisthenes 9y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias

azinman2 9y ago

Drug addiction, mental illness, little education / scaffolding, no family support, etc. Their view that if they did it why can’t others is the same as the libertarian / rich people perspective of “I got mine, you should be able to get yours.” Except not all people are the same, not all people have the same abilities, support, drive, etc. One should have compassion for those unable to help themselves. There will always be people trying to exploit a common good, but that doesn’t mean they’re the majority. If you’re willing to risk everything by moving to a new country with no money where you might not even speak the language, you’re have above average drive and appetite for risk. For example, grandchildren of such immigrants do not share the same economic outlook [1]. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/19/upshot/race-class-white-and-black-men.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/19/upshot/race-c...

NedIsakoff 9y ago
If you talk to the group, their answer to drug addiction is its their fault for starting drugs. For family support, they had none when the came here and had very little opportunity too. My mom's first job was an sewing machine operator in a garment shop in Halifax. My wife's mom had barely finished grade 8 school. Note that this is my oberservation of their views only.

jopsen 9y ago

Probably your parents had enoumous will power, most people don't migrate to another country. Immigrants are not representative of the general population. Often they are stronger in many ways :) Similarly, you can ask why didn't everybody from their native country emigrate. Just my random guess...

NedIsakoff 9y ago
My dad would they they weren't persecuted like he was. His biggest mistake was talking too long to a foreign academic who was giving a lecture at the university where he was.

dis-sys 9y ago

> If we came here with very little (my parents arrived with $200 in their pockets), worked hard, and eventually became successful then why can't other people do the same. such logic error is called "survival bias" - they only look at those who didn't fail by the system.

NedIsakoff 9y ago
Of course, but that is their point of view.
- antisthenes 9y ago
  That just makes their point of view wrong. I'm not sure what you're saying here.
  - lostmsu 9y ago
    It does not make it wrong. Only potentially wrong.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

pedrosorio 9y ago

> I consider myself a 0.5 generation immigrant. I believe this is usually referred to as 1.5 generation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrant_generations#1.5_generation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrant_generations#1.5_gene...

antisthenes 9y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias