4 ms·

50% of all American unicorns were started by immigrants. This is sheer stupidity to prevent the best of what the world has to offer when they are knocking at yo

50% of all American unicorns were started by immigrants. This is sheer stupidity to prevent the best of what the world has to offer when they are knocking at your door.

antonvs 2mo ago
It’s unquestionably bad for the United States, but it will be good for the rest of the world. Time for US dominance to end, and Trump is doing a good job of that.
geodel 2mo ago
And now they can be more evenly distributed all over the world. I'd call it a net win even if administration did not think it this way.
Synaesthesia 2mo ago
People think immigrants come to just take. When they can contribute to the economy.
paxys 2mo ago
The impact on academics and research has already been felt over the last decade. US used to be the default destination for academics and skilled workers from China ever since the cultural revolution. They engrained themselves in the country, studied/worked at top univerities, taught multiple generations of students, did key research, worked at top tech companies, and overall were major contributors to American technological superiority. Then starting ~2016 Trump and his DoJ made it borderline impossible for Chinese nationals to get visas, specifically targeting research universities. Since then new Chinese skilled immigration has slowed down to a trickle, and there has been a massive "brain gain" of existing talent in China's favor. The result - China now has a booming tech industry, Chinese universities have overlapped Amercian ones in research output, China is a very close 2nd in the AI race. And as skilled immigrants continue to be driven out of the US China in particular will enjoy the benefits.
- BobbyJo 2mo ago
  You can't ignore the impact of China also becoming a better place to live as well. China is a different place no than it was 20 years ago, and the need to go overseas anywhere is probably felt less today than back then.
  - dyauspitr 2mo ago
    Salaries are still very low (like 10x lower) compared to the US.
    - BobbyJo 2mo ago
      PPP is what matters financially, add on ethnic homogeny and familial presence in a culture that values both and staying becomes a lot more compelling.
ipnon 2mo ago
[flagged]
- GetThemOut 2mo ago
  [flagged]
- hn_acc1 2mo ago
  What is a "normally skilled" job? Working at Home Depot?
- dyauspitr 2mo ago
  No one just starts companies as soon as they land. It takes decades of hard work and building yourself before they are at a point where they can start companies.
deleted 2mo ago
[deleted]
gamblor956 2mo ago
The world's richest man is an illegal immigrant who started multiple companies. (Musk started X.com while on a student visa and didn't get around to securing a work visa until many years later. This rule violation technically renders his U.S. citizenship void under Trump-era immigration rules.)
ReptileMan 2mo ago
And how many immigrants didn't start unicorns? How do we filter out the best and leave the rest out? Should we have automatic deportation for people that are not economically productive enough? Deportation if some of the best in the world is not so best anymore? Wanting to tie economic performance to public support for immigration is risky gamble.
phendrenad2 1mo ago
The "great man" theory has been (rightfully) banished from most public discourse, the only remaining holdout is startups. The whole point of VC firms is that startups have no chance of success without backing. Often times the founders don't put in the work beyond the prototype (and what a minimal prototype it can be), their VC partners stock them with top-tier employees who build the thing, the founders are young figureheads/mascots who "sell" the startup perception. Often times the founders don't even come up with the idea, they are gifted an idea by a VC partner, you see this when startups "pivot" to something completely different.

50% of all American unicorns were started by immigrants. This is sheer stupidity to prevent the best of what the world has to offer when they are knocking at your door.

antonvs 2mo ago

It’s unquestionably bad for the United States, but it will be good for the rest of the world. Time for US dominance to end, and Trump is doing a good job of that.

geodel 2mo ago

And now they can be more evenly distributed all over the world. I'd call it a net win even if administration did not think it this way.

Synaesthesia 2mo ago

People think immigrants come to just take. When they can contribute to the economy.

paxys 2mo ago

The impact on academics and research has already been felt over the last decade. US used to be the default destination for academics and skilled workers from China ever since the cultural revolution. They engrained themselves in the country, studied/worked at top univerities, taught multiple generations of students, did key research, worked at top tech companies, and overall were major contributors to American technological superiority. Then starting ~2016 Trump and his DoJ made it borderline impossible for Chinese nationals to get visas, specifically targeting research universities. Since then new Chinese skilled immigration has slowed down to a trickle, and there has been a massive "brain gain" of existing talent in China's favor. The result - China now has a booming tech industry, Chinese universities have overlapped Amercian ones in research output, China is a very close 2nd in the AI race. And as skilled immigrants continue to be driven out of the US China in particular will enjoy the benefits.

BobbyJo 2mo ago
You can't ignore the impact of China also becoming a better place to live as well. China is a different place no than it was 20 years ago, and the need to go overseas anywhere is probably felt less today than back then.
- dyauspitr 2mo ago
  Salaries are still very low (like 10x lower) compared to the US.
  - BobbyJo 2mo ago
    PPP is what matters financially, add on ethnic homogeny and familial presence in a culture that values both and staying becomes a lot more compelling.

ipnon 2mo ago

[flagged]

GetThemOut 2mo ago
[flagged]
hn_acc1 2mo ago
What is a "normally skilled" job? Working at Home Depot?
dyauspitr 2mo ago
No one just starts companies as soon as they land. It takes decades of hard work and building yourself before they are at a point where they can start companies.

deleted 2mo ago

[deleted]

gamblor956 2mo ago

The world's richest man is an illegal immigrant who started multiple companies. (Musk started X.com while on a student visa and didn't get around to securing a work visa until many years later. This rule violation technically renders his U.S. citizenship void under Trump-era immigration rules.)

ReptileMan 2mo ago

And how many immigrants didn't start unicorns? How do we filter out the best and leave the rest out? Should we have automatic deportation for people that are not economically productive enough? Deportation if some of the best in the world is not so best anymore? Wanting to tie economic performance to public support for immigration is risky gamble.

phendrenad2 1mo ago

The "great man" theory has been (rightfully) banished from most public discourse, the only remaining holdout is startups. The whole point of VC firms is that startups have no chance of success without backing. Often times the founders don't put in the work beyond the prototype (and what a minimal prototype it can be), their VC partners stock them with top-tier employees who build the thing, the founders are young figureheads/mascots who "sell" the startup perception. Often times the founders don't even come up with the idea, they are gifted an idea by a VC partner, you see this when startups "pivot" to something completely different.