Adrianna TanMay 16
I don’t care what political side you’re on, anyone who is weird about any immigrants including H-1B workers is not a good ally. You don’t get to only support the immigrants you like who might not ‘take your well paid job’.
Show threadAdrianna TanMay 16

I’ve seen so many BS excuses about H-1B fraud from leftists that’s just thinly veiled racism and xenophobia and nationalistic economic protectionism

Those people make frothing at the mouth republicans seem more friendly. At least they’re not pretending to be your friend

Show threadAdrianna TanMay 19
Frankly I’m tired of many leftists and liberals pretending their anti-H1B rants are praxis instead of just anti-immigrant / Indian sentiment
Show threadandrew773May 19
@skinnylatte Say what you will about liberals but that doesn't sound like a left position. The left is concerned with employers abusing the H1B program to drive wages down and create precarity for their employees in general. Our system has created a terrible situation for workers on behalf of oligarchs through years of corruption where many people are very close to desperation. Sorry if this is offensive but if you didn't know I hope you can consider this perspective.
Show threadcrzwdjk ✅ May 19
@andrew773 She was on an H-1B1 visa for a few years, supporting her wife because the H-4 you get with an H-1B1 (which is the special Singapore H-1B) doesn't allow employment. And because Singapore doesn't recognize same sex marriages. So for you it's about employers, for her it's about getting to live in the same country as her wife.
Show threadandrew773May 19
@crzwdjk I understand her situation and I'm glad it worked out for her. I have no problem with foreign workers. My point is it is not anti immigrant to be unhappy with employers in the United States because they have been very aggressive in disenfranchising their employees and US residents in general. I think her post triggers me because everyone loves punching down on the left. Sabotaging the left really hasn't worked well for us here in the US.
Show threadAdrianna TanMay 19

@andrew773 @crzwdjk but I’m calling out a specific leftist problem. Leftists aren’t good on immigration either. It’s not news.

The immigration fixes proposed by leftists still harm immigrants.

I’m not punching down, I’m calling out a specific gap I am seeing in American leftism: that economic protectionism (protect Americans) is a common theme that harms immigrants as well. Unions are great but they’ve also been awful to people of color.

Show threadandrew773May 20
@skinnylatte @crzwdjk I know that UAW has endorsed economic protectionism but that is not because the members are leftists it is because they are economically self interested. Teachers unions tend to have a more diverse workforce including left perspectives. Peak union density was when the US was over 90% white and the unions that remain are mostly allowed to exist for legacy reasons, they are extremely limited and unfairly regulated. What you're saying like sounds like Democrats not leftists.
Show threadAdrianna TanMay 20

@andrew773 @crzwdjk well, look at what Bernie and others are now saying about H-1Bs.

I don’t trust anyone who says those things.

I don’t see a coherent left position on immigration reform.

The European left is pretty fash on immigration (including and especially in the Nordics). I believe that white supremacy is more dominant than any political position. Just in different ways.

Show threadAdrianna Tan

@andrew773 @crzwdjk I’m saying that anti-immigrant sentiment comes from *all* sides and the left doesn’t get a special carve out. If you don’t believe that, you should probably ask more immigrants.

No one feels that anyone is on our side. Anywhere.

The farm worker-aligned immigrant reform movement is a left position, but they are not dominant in national discourse nor outside of several states.

May 20 at 2:55pmWeb