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Yes, but those immigrants had a better life and more opportunity in America than their homeland. They came and stayed voluntarily.

nostrademons 18y ago
I don't really know the details of Dubai's labor situation, but aren't they also there voluntarily? I know laws are different in the Middle East, but I thought slavery was still illegal in the UAE.
- Tangurena 18y ago
  If you're laid off or fired, and you owe money, you will be stopped at the border from leaving. It takes about a week for the notification from your employer to get into the financial system, which is why many westerners drive to the airport and leave their cars in the parking lot with the keys in them - never to return to Dubai.
  - nostrademons 18y ago
    That doesn't sound all that different from turn-of-the-century America, where debtors were often forced to work for their creditor until the money was paid off. I guess the difference is that now it seems like everyone's a debtor, but if you choose to live by the standards someone from a century ago, you have much more freedom and purchasing power, not less. (Seriously, when did living debt-free go out of style? If my grandparents wanted something big like a summer home, they saved for it, they didn't go out and get a mortgage.)
    - krschultz 18y ago
      The difference is that in America's history employers worked in good faith (aside from slavery). In Dubai (and to some extent, China) migrant workers are defrauded and deceived by their employers out of their rightfully due pay.
- StrawberryFrog 18y ago
  Dubai's guest workers won't become citizens, not matter how long they work there.
- Tangurena 18y ago
  The story linked in http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=550719 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=550719 has some anecdotes about how some of the workers get lured to Dubai and then stuck there. Saudi Arabia (one of the countries I've lived in) did similar things to their working classes.

nostrademons 18y ago

I don't really know the details of Dubai's labor situation, but aren't they also there voluntarily? I know laws are different in the Middle East, but I thought slavery was still illegal in the UAE.

Tangurena 18y ago
If you're laid off or fired, and you owe money, you will be stopped at the border from leaving. It takes about a week for the notification from your employer to get into the financial system, which is why many westerners drive to the airport and leave their cars in the parking lot with the keys in them - never to return to Dubai.
- nostrademons 18y ago
  That doesn't sound all that different from turn-of-the-century America, where debtors were often forced to work for their creditor until the money was paid off. I guess the difference is that now it seems like everyone's a debtor, but if you choose to live by the standards someone from a century ago, you have much more freedom and purchasing power, not less. (Seriously, when did living debt-free go out of style? If my grandparents wanted something big like a summer home, they saved for it, they didn't go out and get a mortgage.)
  - krschultz 18y ago
    The difference is that in America's history employers worked in good faith (aside from slavery). In Dubai (and to some extent, China) migrant workers are defrauded and deceived by their employers out of their rightfully due pay.
StrawberryFrog 18y ago
Dubai's guest workers won't become citizens, not matter how long they work there.
Tangurena 18y ago
The story linked in http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=550719 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=550719 has some anecdotes about how some of the workers get lured to Dubai and then stuck there. Saudi Arabia (one of the countries I've lived in) did similar things to their working classes.