Welcome, PUUs: Immigrants seldom look like natives
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Mantra for rich nations: go for ‘People Unlike Us’
Sometimes netas say such goofy things that they have to U-turn with Usain Bolt speed. Like Taiwan’s labour minister. On the heels of an MoU to recruit Indian workers, she went on TV and said workers from India’s Northeast would be preferred. Because “their skin colour and dietary habits are closer to ours.” And because they are “mostly Christians”. She has apologised. Taiwan govt has apologised. But it is still useful to unpack exactly how her original remarks were OMG in error.
Be sceptical of identical | Once upon a time a UK uncle called Tebbit complained how a large proportion of Britain’s population was failing “the cricket test”. Per him, they were cheering the “wrong” side – teams representing countries these immigrants came from. But imagine if immigrants actually were identical to the host population. If they worked and sang and looked and thought exactly the same. Nativists might get their jollies from this fictional scenario. But in the actual meet-and-greet of immigration, it’s the diversity that creates the riches. Sameness would add little value, economic or cultural.
Don’t be sheep | Trump is selling a lot of “they’re poisoning the blood of our country” tickets. But of his three shaadis, two were to immigrants. The message smarter listeners should walk away with: Do as I do, not as I say. An easing of US immigration policies was critical to closing the labour force gap created by Covid. By 2034, immigration to US is expected to provide GDP with a $7 trillion top-up.
Get rich quick | Another rich country where migration has been the backbone of a dream economic run is Australia. Around onethird of its population is foreign-born. Not that Uncles Tebbit and Trump haven’t met like-minded fellas here. There was a Calwell ji who infamously told the country’s parliament: “Two Wongs don’t make a white.” But smarter wonks thankfully prevailed. They had to bury the White Australia Policy to build prosperity.
Give choice a voice | Taiwan is among the world’s fastest aging countries. And it’s been no more successful than neighbours China, Japan and South Korea at reversing a gloomy fertility slump. No matter how much Uncles and Aunties lecture the young to have more children, they simply won’t. Embracing immigration is much the logical alternative. Put away the racist blinkers. A freer exchange of labour between developed and developing countries is what’s best for both. It doesn’t matter if they don’t look like you, or eat like you, or talk like you – what matters is that they can work for you.
This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
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