I had a coworker who grew up in Africa and was involved with ISPs there. He had some pretty important jobs in a couple countries. His explanation why he came

I had a coworker who grew up in Africa and was involved with ISPs there. He had some pretty important jobs in a couple countries. His explanation why he came to the US to do what were lower level jobs was that in the places he worked it was all who you knew and if your given buddy who got you that job fell out of the good graces of those in power ... you were screwed forever. He had enough of that, good guy, very capable, worked his way up again in the US.