“Americans are not aware that major companies are routinely discriminating against them for the simple fact of being Americans in their own country,” the team behind Jobs.Now, a website seeking out H-1B roles to share them with Americans, told Newsweek on condition their identities were kept anonymous.
Tech companies accused of bending H-1B rules with newspaper job listings
I documented on my Travel blog, that to rise up in most organizations – especially tech but others too – you need significant international experience. That can include being an immigrant or the child of immigrants, have traveled extensively, did study abroad or have work abroad experience, and speak more than one language. There is a characterization or assumption that such persons are better than US born persons who lack global knowledge.
The media today thrives on stories about those who are international, who are presented as having overcome obstacles, and sometimes implying they are smarter than Americans.
In some ways, US citizens are at a disadvantage relative to persons in other parts of the world – when it comes to languages and access to other cultures. It is common for students in India, for example, to also learn English, and for students in Europe to learn English and one or two additional languages. For those growing up in Europe, entire cultures are a day’s train ride away – and spending time in other cultures is common.
But in the U.S., this has not been as common – relatively few students study foreign language, and if they do, they have little or no opportunity to engage in immersion in the culture.
In the early 1970s, about 4.7% of the US population was born abroad. In January 2025, an estimated 15.8% of the US population was foreign born. This means 1 in 6 were born abroad, and for many, their parent or grandparent was an immigrant. This leads to many Americans having international connections and experiences that 2 generations ago were not common. (In fact, 1 in 5 people in the US workforce was born abroad.)
This is a big change – and implies those without international experience or connections are going to be at a disadvantage in job markets, especially in fields that have global connections (e.g. tech, manufacturing, academics).
- How many Americans have lived or worked internationally? – Coldstreams Travel and Global Thinking
- International: How Global Are We? A Summary – Coldstreams Travel and Global Thinking
- Immigration: Bloomberg says up to 40% of Americans may qualify for EU citizenship due to ancestry – Coldstreams Travel and Global Thinking
