> but one thing that stood out to me was how hard they worked for their average to below average wages due to the fact that they feared getting laid off and bei

> but one thing that stood out to me was how hard they worked for their average to below average wages due to the fact that they feared getting laid off and being sent back to their home countries. Part of me wonders whether this is also because of their expectations for a reasonable salary/conditions. If you come from a country where wages are much lower than in the US, even a terrible wage from a tech company must seem like an amazing one. This then makes the comparison even more stacked towards the H1 worker. Of course they'll 'work harder' for that wage, it seems like a decent one for them and (as mentioned), there's a risk of being sent back. Meanwhile any US based employee you can get for similar money will probably be far below average in terms of skills/mindset, since no one with any real expertise will work for these wages.