as an expat and son of immigrants myself, I guess i'm uniquely qualified to answer that. Economic opportunities in america are great if you're willing to work

as an expat and son of immigrants myself, I guess i'm uniquely qualified to answer that. Economic opportunities in america are great if you're willing to work your ass off and smartly. Smartly is the keyword to avoiding exploitation. That said, the wages here are way higher than in other countries. Here in Colombia, the minimum wage comes out to around $250/month. People here don't have much choice given the language barrier and lack of skills for the international market. Their skillset and ability to endure absolute crap gives them an edge when they immigrate to the US and get paid relatively descent wages for their work. Now I'm on the other end. I have skills as a software engineer, fluency in english and connections. Those are all things I can take with me to maintain the smae wage I'd be making in america in a country where the average wage is a fraction of what I make. Thus I get to live like a king. TLDR: both sides are moving to maximize their living potential and they increase for different reasons.