Correct the border security, let state supported American engineering graduate school retrain matured American engineers before talking about immigration reform
Harish Baliga
Jun. 10, 2007

What went on in the name of immigration reform is a shame. Of all the people in the world, Senator Ted Kennedy joined hands with Bush and tried to get this immigration bill into our throat. Before voting next time, watch for those who supported this immigration bill to benefit the rich and the corporate giants.

There are close to twelve million illegal aliens in the United States. Amnesty to these people can only be provided if the Mexican and Canadian borders are first secured. More importantly, the businesses that hired these illegal aliens since 1988 will have to pay hefty fines (that they never did because neither Democrats nor Republicans enforced it) to reduce the budget deficit. The illegal aliens broke the law and so did those who hired them. In addition, countless rich Americans hire illegal aliens for domestic help. They must pay hefty fines too.

Before increasing the H1B quota (technical guest workers) and shifting the focus on who gets a green card and based on what, look into the American graduate schools of engineering. It is a shame what is going on there. I visited four state supported engineering graduate schools. You will not believe what I found. My investigative reporting started when we received many complaints for local American citizens who are in their thirties or forties, and are running their own businesses. These people work day and night and create American jobs. They wanted to pursue graduate studies to acquire the knowledge needed for enhancing the operations of their technology companies.

These schools will not help them in retraining and providing knowledge. They are too busy importing foreign students from India, China, and other countries and pay them fat stipends and free tuition from the state tax dollars. They do not want to hear from people who are above their thirties, even after they know these are local residents and practicing engineers generating revenues and making America stronger and better everyday.

I went further to find what the reason was. Finally, I understood; they have created a system by which they can eliminate the matured engineers and scientists from the enrollment process. They need GRE scores. But they do not look at the verbal part – they need 700 and above in quantitative part. They know very well that the Chinese foreign students cannot score well in verbal section, as they are weak in English. They require TOEFL (Test of English as a foreign language) but any one can score well in TOEFL learning a little English. The GRE quantitative section is common for all departments as a result it is based on basic math but to score 700 out of 800 you must be very agile. The mental agility wears out, as you grow older. They measure your agility in solving ninth grade math. The GRE quantitative section has nothing to do with science or engineering. If you are young in your teens, or early twenties, and have a strong mathematical mindset, you will easily score 700 and above. If you are in your thirties, and you have lost that agility, you will have problems. These schools are packed with students from China, India, and other countries in their early twenties. Because these younger students are into the academics especially engineering and they are young, they can easily score 700 and above in the GRE quantitative section. Most of the American students after completing undergraduate studies take employment instead of pursuing Masters degree or Ph.D. But after reaching their thirties, when they try to get retrained into newer technologies, that is when they get discriminated. These people have engineering degrees from American universities and are trying to obtain Masters or PhDs to absorb the new technologies. The schools have created a system that suits the younger students. The professors are scared to talk to matured engineers because they feel they will be intellectually challenged.

I posed as a matured engineer and met with the Graduate Directors of all the four schools. When they see you in your thirties or forties, they try to avoid talking to you. Finally, when you pursue them, they will suggest, ‘why don’t you take some courses as non-degree majors’. After paying for a few courses, you realize how shallow the knowledgebase of these professors are. Most of them stopped working on advanced research projects after obtaining tenure. They call themselves part of Research University but publications are scarce. Finally the Graduate Director comes out and says, “You got ‘B’s and the graduate school wants all ‘A’ so you better leave.” The discrimination is not against younger Americans trying to obtain a graduate degree in engineering. The discrimination is against matured American engineers who are trying to retrain themselves to become knowledgeable in current technologies. Now think about this - if engineering entrepreneurs and practicing engineers do not have a place to research and retrain, what will happen to America?

Unless matured American engineers and scientists can be retrained, no one has any business in opening the doors for H1B intellectual slave labors in America. American companies love hiring these H1Bs because they are obedient and never question about working conditions or workloads. They are legally allowed to work with one employer only and these employers violate American labor laws all the time. An American worker will report abuse to the Labor department. The H1B alien worker will not because he or she is afraid of losing his or her job and consequent legal status in America. In addition H1Bs want employer sponsored green cards. They will never antagonize the employers.

A simple suggestion to the politicians: do not provide amnesty to illegal immigrants until you figure out how you can protect the border and fine those who employed these people illegally since 1988. Do not increase H1B visa or change the mode of obtaining green cards till you can force American Universities especially graduate engineering schools run with public money to retrain matured American engineers and scientists.

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