H-1B
No, the code in my subject line is not a new and shortened key to crack HD-DVDs. It is a number that refers to the often controversial H-1B visa program. For those of you who are not IT workers, you may not be familiar with this program in which the U.S. allows a capped number (65,000 as of 2006) of foreign-born, high-tech, and skilled workers to live and work here each year. While some workers do end up in academe, many end up working at major software or IT corporations. Many American workers dislike the program because they feel it takes tech jobs away from U.S. workers in addition to allowing major companies to save money by hiring H-1B visa workers. There is some truth to that, but it doesn’t excuse some of the language I have heard from fellow coworkers when referring to H-1B workers.
My former employer employed many H-1B workers of which 99% were from India. Many of my former coworkers grumbled; however, some expressed their dissatisfaction in racist and dehumanizing ways. Some of my team mates referred to the workers as “towel heads” or “the Taliban,” which makes no sense since the Taliban is in Afghanistan, not India. It really bothered me after finding out that my coworkers were engaging in this. And it wasn’t just one specific race using these demeaning names; the offenders were white, Italian, and African-American. Primarily my boneheaded - not to mention racist, homophobic, and sexist - teammate came up with these nicknames. Fortunately, one coworker stepped in, asking the offenders to stop making those racist and ignorant comments. I mostly believe there was some racism involved in the name calling, but I also believe they were doing so because they viewed the H1-B workers as a threat to their jobs. After all, H1-B workers developed a large-scale system that would eventually phase out older technology that some of the “old timers” helped developed and maintain.
In another case, I also grew dismayed upon hearing how some high-level executive managers referred to H1-B workers. They called them “H1-Bs” in every, single reference. Initially, I didn’t know what they were talking about since I viewed H1-B workers as contractors, which is what they were; I quickly caught on when someone mentioned the cap about the number of H1-B visas. In any case, I found the managers’ reference to them offensive. They might be here on H-1B visas, but they are human beings, not things. Maybe I’m over-sensitive or maybe I’m not, but calling them “H1-Bs” made it seem like they weren’t entitled to the same treatment as other members of the workforce: to be treated like a human being. While I can attest that I never publicly heard these managers talk to H1-B workers in a demeaning manner, it was still dismaying to discover how they referred to them in private. There’s no telling what may or may not have been said about them behind closed doors.
As for my point of view, I don’t like the loss of American jobs in any field, not just tech. However, since I’ve worked in tech for several years, I can’t help but see how the H1-B visa program affects my industry. Over the years, many of my coworkers came from India. From my personal experience, they didn’t steal American jobs. In my former employer’s case, they filled a need for a special coding skill set that many American workers did not have; I’m saying that based on the market for my area, which is a fair statement to make considering the unanswered job ads for this particular type of developer. So, they turned to the H1-B visa program to fill their coding demands where eventually Indian-born employees (primarily H1-B workers) became the majority. While I don’t like the idea of corporations using cheaper labor in the H1-B visa program to keep more profits in their pockets, I never held that personally against the H1-B workers. I treated them, like anyone else, with courtesy and respect. They are not just “H1-Bs” but people who are trying to do the same thing we’re all trying to do: provide food on the table, provide shelter, and find some joy out of this life.
Author’s Note: Just in case anyone decides to call me out for my use of “H1-B workers” in this post, I used those words to provide clarity for the reader’s sake. I do not and have never called anyone an “H1-B” or “H1-B worker.” To me, they are just my coworkers.