Citizenship Ceremony Renews Faith and Pride in American Ideals
Global Cleveland counts upon volunteers to perform a number of services, including welcoming new Americans at citizenship ceremonies in federal court. Recently, one of our board members, Doug Bugie, volunteered in this role. Here are his thoughts on the experience.
By Doug Bugie
There is an old expression '”Talk the walk or walk the walk.” There’s a big difference between the two. After years of serving on the board of Global Cleveland, I learned that difference by attending a naturalization ceremony, my first. This event commemorated the birth of the U.S. Army and Flag Day at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
It was a beautiful, sunny day and even though concurrent with the terrible shootings at the Congressional baseball game, spirits were high and focused on the future.
I learned and felt firsthand the immense pride and good fortune to be an American, through the eyes and hearts of the 32 people from 20 nations winning US citizenship. And I do emphasize “winning.” America remains a country where people dream about living, of breathing free, and the nation wins with legal Migration. I wish we would allow much more of it.
As U.S. Judge Dan Polster observed that day, “Many new citizens have come from places where freedom of thinking, expression and religion and yes, voting, are under pressure or not permitted.”
They come here emboldened to do great things. As Judge Polster said so eloquently, “Leaving one’s home, family, friends, and way of life” to move to a new country “is the ultimate act of entrepreneurship.”
He is so right. Many International Newcomers continue to invent, invest, create jobs, pay taxes and work so hard as new Americans. A high percentage have gone on to lead Fortune 500 companies.
Who could not be moved by the recent 60 Minutes story on Hamdi Ulukaya, the Turkish International Newcomer who founded Chobani Yogurt, and who has made so many of his employees millionaires? International Newcomer contribution is right and necessary for our spiritual and material health.
I was somewhat surprised I did not know anyone at the ceremony, except Judge Polster. I saw no politicians, no civic leaders. The military was there in a big way and I was comforted to see Courtney Ottrix and a couple of newcomers to GC! In some way, I was relieved too, as the outfit I has on was decidedly rockesque.
This ceremony made me think about the tremendous contributions made by International Newcomers, not just now, but throughout out American history. I saw with my own eyes how much this moment meant to them, for I could see it in their faces. We must never let the notion perish that we are indeed the “shining city on a hill.”
New Americans should assimilate into our culture, values and way of life, even as they preserve and enrich us with their own heritage. The new Americans who spoke that day embraced this point of view.
It swelled my heart with pride to know that we are still the America we know and love. I walked up to Greg Harris, the president of the Rock Hall, and simply said. “It makes you proud and fortunate to be an American, right?”
“Sure does,” he nodded.
It sure does, Greg. It sure does.
If you would like to become a welcome volunteer for Global Cleveland, please visit our volunteer page
Community Partner: The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage
The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage opened its doors 12 years ago and since then has upheld the vision of our founders, to create a space that celebrates culture, identity, and diversity through a Jewish lens. Our exhibitions, programs, and tours focus on human stories, build bridges of understanding, to bring history to life and challenge the evils of racism, intolerance, and bigotry in all its forms.
In the last year alone, we served over 10,000 school aged children through our amazing exhibitions including This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement. By telling the crucial story of Freedom Summer through stunning black and white photographs, immersive three-dimensional structures, and powerful films, we looked at the past in a bold new way to better understand our current era, and perhaps make better decisions as a community in the future.
One core story we share with our amazing partner Global Cleveland, is the International Newcomer experience. Last summer we piloted a series of panel discussions dedicated to the rich diversity and powerful contributions of Cleveland’s International Newcomer communities. We are thrilled to announce that George Koussa will share powerful narratives from Syria, and we will hear other stories of captive nations around the globe as we celebrate our own nation’s independence.
Visit our website maltzmuseum.org for details, and please join us for our joint presentations. I promise you will walk away knowing someone and something you did not know before.
From New Americans to Business Owners
Hoat and Nancy Truong fled Vietnam in desperate boats. In Cleveland, they joined an International Newcomer business phenomenon
The opportunity presented itself when Hoat and Nancy Truong scouted a restaurant location for a family friend. He decided not to pursue the venture. The couple faced a decision.
Hoat, a chef, was managing a machine shop. Nancy, an accountant, also had a full time job. They had three children in college. They’re not sure why they took the plunge into entrepreneurship, only that it seemed inevitable.
“Everyone in our family owns something,” Nancy Truong said, laughing as she listed off an assortment of small businesses owned by family members around the country.
Two of her three children moved home from college to help open Pho Thang Café in a first floor space in the Superior Building at East Ninth Street and Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland. Nearly three years later, the restaurant is a success and the family is looking to expand to new locations.
Hoat and Nancy Truong are part of an American International Newcomer phenomenon. In pursuit of the American dream, they launched a business that created jobs and added vitality and culture to their adopted home. They’re far from alone.
According to the Kaufmann Foundation, International Newcomers are nearly twice as likely as native-born Americans to start their own business. In Cuyahoga County, that entrepreneurial zeal extends even to Displaced Personss, like the Troungs, who fled Vietnam in desperate boats as children and met in Cleveland. A 2013 study by Chmura Economics & Analytics found the county’s Displaced Personss 23 percent more likely than the average Clevelander to launch a business.
“You want to own your own business,” said Hoat, who cooked in local Chinese restaurants for years, always desiring to create an authentic Vietnamese menu.
“I don’t know the reason, honestly,” Nancy Truong added. “We just did it. If you can-- do it. If you think you can’t--try. Whatever, the outcome, still you’re very proud of yourself.”
That attitude has fueled a constellation of ethnic shops and restaurants across Northeast Ohio. Recently, Global Cleveland compiled a listing of International Newcomer and Displaced Persons owned businesses in the region. The roster is dominated by restaurants but it also includes markets and bakeries, breweries and beer gardens, business services and soccer clubs.
We invite you to explore the multicultural city by supporting our news neighbors and shopping and dining at International Newcomer owned businesses. Click here to see our list: Diversity at Home
If you see an International Newcomer-owned business that we missed, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. We know the business listing will grow, just as long as International Newcomers and Displaced Personss come to Cleveland to pursue their dreams.
We Are Friends of Global Cleveland!
Imagine you are moving to a new place. No matter if work, school or travel brings you to Cleveland, you need information. You have so many questions about the city, but you are unsure whom to ask. You want to meet people who understand your situation, who share your interests and hobbies – other global minds! You want to make new friends.
And this is how we started. We are a group of young professionals from around the world looking to get in touch with people who share our interests and experiences to foster personal growth and development.
We are Friends of Global Cleveland, an international young professionals group. Our mission is to welcome, connect and engage young professionals in Cleveland and to help international professionals to thrive here.
We plan to offer networking and volunteering opportunities, local events and relevant information.
Please join us Thursday evening, July 13, in Tremont to celebrate the Kick Off of Friends of Global Cleveland. Be the first to learn more about the great opportunities this new group has to offer and enjoy complimentary wine and appetizers at the Ukrainian Museum.
Here are the details:
Friend of Global Cleveland Kick Off
Thursday, 13 July 2017 from 17:30 to 19:30 (EDT)
Ukrainian Museum and Archives
1202 Kenilworth Ave
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
For more information, contact [email protected]
Iceland, An Adventure Not So Far Away
By: Srinivas R Merugu
Last week marked my fifth trip to Iceland. A country with a population just a bit shy of Cleveland and a reputation as a tourist destination has been drawing me back year after year, for four years. What started as a boys’ trip to the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival for my 40th birthday has become an annual pilgrimage.
Each year has seen me return to Reykjavik, the northernmost capital city in the world. Last year was particularly special because it included my wife’s maiden voyage there. And this year we brought our seven-year-old son.
Why Iceland? Why again and again? The answer is complicated and simple all at once. My friend David and I first became aware of the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival around 10 years ago. We were heavily into Sigur Ros, one of many great bands to come out of Iceland. In 2003, the year I turned 40 and David 50, we finally went. We got a few other guys to buy into to the 5-day, 4-night trip.
That formula has since been repeated three more times for me, each time with a different combination of travel companions. Each time, the prospect of seeing friends who I get to see just that once made the decision easy. Last year found me on the fence, after an 18-hour layover in May while on our way back from Copenhagen. My wife and I decided to make a spa day of it. We spent several hours at The Blue Lagoon, which I had avoided until then. Yes, it is a tourist trap, but so beautiful!
And then come November, when Björk was added to the line-up of the music festival, I found myself getting off that fence in a hurry.
That brings us to January 2017, when our friends who also have a 7-year old, had heard enough about Iceland and decided that they needed to go. As it turned out, the Icelandic low-cost airline, Wow Air, had just announced non-stop service to Reykjavik from Pittsburgh, starting in June. (That Plain Dealer article, which revealed how Cleveland had been a contender and lost out, was one of my unhappier travel moments.) This trip would be different than the rest. It was summer and we planned on spending significant time outside of Reykjavik, exploring the southern coast.
Reykjavik’s Keflavik airport is about 45 minutes outside the city and is a breeze to get through. The city is compact and easily navigable. Airbnb and TripAdvisor both list a substantial inventory of properties for rent. Hotels are abundant too and for the hosteling fan, there’s the incomparable Kex Hostel, a local institution. The massive Lutheran church, Hallgrimskirkja has always been a good landmark for me by which to gauge whether the rental unit is in a good location.
We lucked out with the weather on our first day. What started as rainy had turned into a beautiful 50-degree sunny day. We set out to explore the city.
The topography of Reykjavik reminds me of San Francisco, with inclines and several streets offering great views of the bay. It was two days before the summer solstice. Even knowing that the days are really long didn’t quite prepare us for the lack of darkness.
You don’t really value darkness until you’ve experienced unending daylight! It’s an odd complaint, but the lack of a “real” night threw off our circadian rhythm. The trick for me is to remember that I am on vacation, and not worry about waking up before noon.
Day three of our trip held a true surprise. We set out early in the day to see one of dozens waterfalls -- Seljalandsfoss. We found ourselves on a drive that changed my whole perspective on the geography of Iceland. Up until this trip, I had spent most of my time in and around Reykjavik in early November. Now, we were on a stunning drive – with black volcanic sands and the ocean on our right and lush green hills and meadows full of gorgeous purple Nootka lupines on our left. And this is when we started noticing that there were so many waterfalls, small and big, tumbling down from the hills. They were everywhere!
As we approached Seljalandsfoss, we found ourselves in cold, cloudy weather, but the sight and sound of the water turned us all into kids, rushing towards the frigid water, not minding the slush, slippery rocks and drenching mist. The trip back to our car was much improved by the hot chocolate and the first of our many hot dogs that came on our drive back – cold and giddy with the thrill of having walked behind a waterfall!
After a quick change of clothes in the parking lot, we were back on the road, to ride the ferry to Vestmannaeyjar, the Westman Islands. We got off the ferry to witness some of the most spectacular views any of us had ever seen. These very young (geologically speaking) volcanic islands with sparkling blue waters, grass and moss topped hills with sheep grazing on what appeared to be impossible inclines, and quite possibly the cleanest air we had ever breathed, combined to stop us in our tracks. Yet another delightful apartment awaited us. But, the excitement of seeing the sun and wanting to make most of the unreliable weather, we set off to explore the northern part of the island of Heimaey (the only inhabited island in the archipelago).
We continued to explore the island. We hiked up Eldfell, the volcano that erupted in 1973, forcing the evacuation of all the residents of the island, then drove on to a puffin-nesting site. We didn’t catch close up views of puffins, but just being at the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean, the nests of birds all along the rocky shore, seals bobbing in the water, filled us again with an overwhelming sense of being alive!
The Etiquette of Making Introductions
Author: The Daily Muse Editor
Once you’ve started to build up a respectable network in the working world, you’ll certainly find yourself with opportunities to connect the people you know. Maybe a friend of yours is looking to hire a marketing manager , and you know a great candidate, or maybe one of your new connections is interested in meeting one of your mentors or advisors.
This is great. It’s an opportunity to help out the people you know, strengthen your relationships with them, and also stay on their radar in a positive way. But there’s an art to making connections among your network—and truth is, it’s not always that easy to navigate when one of your connections is eager to meet another.
Next time someone asks you for an intro, here’s your primer on handling it with grace.
Don’t Make Cold Intros
Rule number one: Don’t make an introduction to someone without asking her first. “Cold” intros are the virtual equivalent of planning a one-on-one catch-up with someone, and showing up with another friend—they’re off-putting, and they can leave the recipient feeling off-balance, annoyed, and unsure of what to do next.
There’s an easy way around this. Before making an intro, give the people involved a heads up. If a friend of mine wants to meet an editorial contact I have, for example, I’ll send that contact a note first, to the effect of “Hey, I wanted to introduce you to my friend Julia. She’s [insert 1-2 sentences on her background]. I’ll send an email intro shortly!” This way, the recipient of the intro has some context and knows to expect the email from you.
Now, depending on your relationship, there may also be times when it’s more appropriate to ask permission than to send an FYI. “My friend Julia [insert background] would love to meet you—is it OK with you if I make the introduction?” is entirely appropriate.
Present an Angle
When you’re introducing people, presumably it’s because you think there’s a reason they should meet. Sometimes this reason is one-sided, for example, if someone in your circle has asked you to connect her with someone at her dream company. Other times, it’s mutually beneficial—two people have expressed interest in meeting each other, or you see synergies between the companies they’re working for and think they’d get along.
Regardless, you have a reason for making the introduction. So, when you go to actually make that intro, you’ll do both people a huge favor by stating what that reason is.
This is helpful even if both people know why you’re making the intro, because it gives them something to go off of when they respond to one another. On the other hand, I’ve found that when I receive an email that says, “Meet my friend—she’s awesome, you two should talk,” it’s hard to formulate a non-awkward response to the person I’m supposed to meet. (“Hey, nice to meet you—I hear you’re awesome!” just doesn’t cut it.)
Be Aware of Power Dynamics
All relationships are not created equal. And as you expand your circle beyond your immediate peers, you have to be aware of the dynamics amongst the people you know and the people you’re connecting. Asking a senior marketing exec to sit down with the somewhat-aimless-but-nice woman you just met at a conference is—well, not cool.
Of course, there are a lot of grey areas in relationships, but the bottom line is to be aware of what you’re asking of people and make sure it’s appropriate. More importantly, if you know you’re asking a big favor of someone, acknowledge it: “Would you do me a favor and talk with my colleague Mark about moving into the business development world?” Other times, you can be more subtle—but use phrases like “I would appreciate it if… ” or “It would be so helpful if… ” that clue the recipient in to the fact that you know you’re asking something of her.
Remember it’s OK to Say No
Finally, if someone asks you to make an intro you aren’t comfortable with,give yourself permission to say no . You don’t have to do every favor that’s asked of you. If a junior peer comes asking you to intro her to every senior exec you know—be polite, but don’t feel bad turning her down.
At the end of the day, your network is your network because you’ve built those relationships. You want to maintain them and show respect for the people you know and their time. Connecting people is a great way to further your network and relationships, but if you think that making an intro is wasting one person or the other’s time, or get the sense that one party wouldn’t be so receptive to it—sometimes the appropriate thing to do is to pass.
Photo of people meeting courtesy of Shutterstock .
To read the original article, click here.
How to Hunt Down a Hiring Manager's Email Address
Author: Alexis Grant
We all know it’s better to address a cover letter or pitch email to a specific person rather than just saying “Dear hiring manager.” And not just anyperson, but the right person—the person who could choose you for the job.
But even once you figure out who holds the power to hire for the position you seek, getting your note to land in his or her inbox is often easier said than done. Sure, some hiring managers post their email addresses in obvious places, making it easy to contact them. But others go out of their way to keep their contact information private with the hopes that they won’t hear from unsolicited job seekers (like, er, you).
Ironically, the people who are difficult to get in touch with might actually offer more opportunities: If it’s not easy to find their email addresses, fewer candidates are emailing them—and your email stands a better chance of getting read.
All it takes to get your foot in their inbox is a little sleuthing. (These tips, by the way, work whether you’re a job seeker, a freelancer trying to land clients, a blogger growing your network , or a startup aiming for news coverage.)
Start With Google
Obvious, right? But don’t just type the person’s name into Google. You can start with that, but if it doesn’t land you on his or her website or another digital home with an obvious way of getting in touch, take it a step further.
Let’s use Joe Schmo who works at Starbucks as an example. Try Googling:
“Joe Schmo email”
“Joe Schmo @gmail.com”
“Joe Schmo @Starbucks.com”
Most of us only use Google’s basic features, but you can also add words and symbols to target your search . If you wanted to limit your search to the Starbucks website, for example, try “Joe Schmo site:http://www.starbucks.com.”
Try Twitter
Does the hiring manager have a Twitter handle ? The best way to find out is via Google—searching for “Joe Schmo Twitter”—rather than using Twitter’s lackluster search tool.
Once you find someone’s profile, check out the link that’s listed feature in the URL field. Occasionally you’ll find a gem here: an About.me page or a personal website that doesn’t rank high in Google. Dig a little on that page, and you might find an email, too.
Still coming up empty-handed? Use your own Twitter account to @reply to the tweep and let him or her know why you want to get in touch . (Be specific and compelling—a random “Can you send me your email?” won’t get you far.) You might also follow the person, so he or she can send you a direct message—people are often more comfortable disclosing their email address via direct message than in their public feed.
Give LinkedIn a Shot
No luck yet? Try Googling “Joe Schmo LinkedIn.”
First, look at the hiring manager’s contact information on his or her profile; as with Twitter, there’s a chance you’ll find a website you haven’t noticed before, and if you follow that trail, you might find an email, too.
If you happen to be a member of a LinkedIn group this hiring manager is also a member of, you might be able to send him or her a message (depending on whether that person accepts messages from group members). This sounds far-fetched, but if you work in the same industry, there’s a chance you’ll have at least one group in common.
If that’s a dead end, consider sending this person an InMail (LinkedIn-speak for a message to someone you’re not connected to). You’ll have to pay to send InMail, either on a one-off basis or as part of an upgrade to LinkedIn’s premium version, but it can be worth it for people who are extra-tough to find.
And of course, look to see whether you and this person share any connections—you might be able to ask that common contact to introduce you . A warm introduction is always better than a cold one.
Find a Colleague
So, you’ve scoured Google, Twitter, and LinkedIn and still can’t find contact information for the person you want to reach. Know what’s second best? An email for one of his or her colleagues.
This is one of my absolute favorite hacks—look at the structure of that colleague’s email and apply it to the name of the person you want to reach. Say you found one of Joe Schmo’s colleagues, Mary King, and her email is [email protected]. Knowing that, you can easily guess what Joe Schmo’s email might be: [email protected].
Of course, sometimes your target’s email will deviate from a company’s email structure—Joe Schmo’s a pretty common name, so he might need to include his middle initial, for example. If you suspect that might be the case, find emails for several people at the company, compare them, and take an educated guess.
Then, send your pitch or cover letter to that email with your fingers crossed. If it doesn’t bounce back, you can bet you’ve found a way in.
Still in the dark? Well, sometimes you’ll go through all of these steps and still hit a dead end—but at least you know you did the best you could, right? When you do find an email you’ve been looking for and finally land an interview , it makes all the effort worth it.
What tactics or tools have you used to track down someone’s email address?
Photo of man on computer courtesy of Shutterstock .
To read the original article, click here.
2017 Global Employer Summit: International Student Showcase
2017 Global Employer Summit: International Student Showcase
One of the highlights of the summit was the International Student Showcase where smart young international students and entrepreneurs were offered an opportunity to showcase their experience and skills in front of hundreds of employers. 21 international students from 4 colleges and 8 different majors attended the showcase, and presented a variety of topics from the school projects they worked on, to the innovative ideas they have in certain areas, to their life stories such as how they decided to come to the U.S. and pursue their dreams.
107 attendees were invited to vote for their favorite pitch, and the top three winners with the most votes each received a certificate and a prize from Global Cleveland. Below are the winners of the 2017 Global Employer Summit: International Student Showcase
Photo credit: ClevelandPeople.com
Winner:
Shilpa Ramakrishnan-Masters in Engineering Management-Case Western Reserve University
" Structure to Ambiguity!
It is necessary for companies to identify the changing end user needs, market dynamics and understand their core competencies to deliver market leading solutions that address customer needs. Do they deal with the ambiguity of what next?
We have developed a roadmap through a systematic process of innovation at stages that drives a continuous cycle for a company to innovate and thus sustain a competitive edge in today's competitive market scenario."
First Runner-up:
Neha Des- Masters in Engineering Management-Case Western Reserve University
" The project I presented was with 'FlipSnap'. It is a collaborative, social video application which allows (one) to remove or replace any part of the video and interact with images and video assets in real time . In scope of the project, we did market research for finding the strategic partnerships for Flipsnap."
Second Runner-up:
Ye (Duke) Li-Master of Law-Case Western Reserve University
"I used to be a professional boxer back in China for more than 10 years, and have won multiple championships. I have coached other boxers, and have been invited to serve as referee for boxing matches.
Now I am studying business law and sport law at Case because I want to get a comprehensive understanding of American sport system, and then make a contribution and build a bridge for Chinese and American professional boxers. I want to help promote this sport, share my love for boxing with others, and create good communication channels in both countries."
Pictures of other promising young talents:
It Can Be Done: US Migration Policy Today
Global Employer Summit: Realizing the Untapped Potential of Global Talent in NEO
Expert Strategies + Global Talent = A World-Class Cleveland
May 31, 2017
US Migration Policy Today
Jon Baselice, Director of US Migration Policy, US Chamber of Commerce
Migration reform will be tough, “but it can be done,” said Jon Baselice, Director of US Migration Policy for the US Chamber of Commerce, in his opening remarks to Global Cleveland’s “Global Employer Summit: Realizing the Untapped Potential of Global Talent in NEO.” “If we are to move forward with Migration reform, whether it is comprehensive or piecemeal, it cannot be understated that grassroots involvement is key, like the work Global Cleveland is doing putting things together, it will always be needed.”
Speaking candidly, Baselice said there is a rift in the current White House between those who want less Migration no matter what the skill level, and those who want reasonable Migration reform. He said the current Administration is on a learning curve and is beginning to understand that the rhetoric of the campaign trail needs to give way to the realities of governance.
The Chamber, he said, has been working on travel issues related to the Administration’s proposed travel ban and the impact of the language on businesses. “If there is the perception among people who don’t live here that they aren’t welcome here, then they’ll go elsewhere,” he said. Using a patient traveling to Cleveland for medical care as an example, he continued, “So not only will we lose the cost of the airfare, the meals, and all the incidentals of travel, but the Cleveland Clinic will lose the money it would have made…that’s an opportunity cost we would lose.”
He said the Chamber is working with other groups to make certain they meet the very short comment periods the current Administration is using for responding to notices in the Federal Register. “We all try to point out,” he said, “that they [the Administration] need to say, ‘we encourage legitimate travel to the US.’” While it hasn’t borne out yet, a study funded by the US Travel Association showed that year-over-year, there have been massive drop-offs in not only searches, but bookings for tourism in the US. When these hit, Baselice said, the loss of tourism dollars will ripple throughout the economy.
The Chamber is also working with Senator Orin Hatch on issues related to high-skill workers and H-1B visa challenges and the Migration Innovation legislation that is stalled in Congress. Baselice said that “given the current President’s desire to protect American workers,” the new legislation will have a cap on the number of H-1B visas and will address issues of what foreign workers must be paid, and that US businesses will need to use or lose their H-1B visas. While he said Sen. Hatch’s legislation will not sail through, “it will at least provide something for others to react to and that in itself will be helpful to the overall process.”
In a wide-ranging question-and-answer period, Baselice was asked about the intention behind the proposed travel ban and he said there are three groups who do want to curtail the number of people coming to this country, but he noted that the second travel ban seemed to soften on several areas and tried to provide legal rationale, so he had seen some movement there.
As to whether another so-called “Gang of 8” (referring to the bi-partisan group of Senators who wrote the doomed 2013 comprehensive Migration reform bill) could step forward, Baselice said there are senators who have shown an interest in doing something about Migration, because there is a real need for workers to do such jobs as citrus picking, hotel housekeeping, and landscaping, to name a few. From his time in the Senate (as an aide to Senator Marco Rubio), he does believe there is a will…it’s just finding the right way that is proving problematic at the moment. “However, in the House,” he said, “it’s a whole different equation.”
The Chamber has also been working on H-2B visas for lesser skilled workers and has gotten an increase, but he noted that discretion is left to the Department to issue them, if at all.
Baselice encouraged the group to keep an active hand in crafting legislative proposals, noting that economic impact is always going to be front and center. “The real question is whether the analysis is legitimate? Is there economic analysis to support what you’re doing?” He pointed to the tech sector, and Silicon Valley in particular. “Silicon Valley is what it is because of International Newcomers,” he said, adding, “To Dany Bahar’s point, it’s definitely easier to move minds than knowledge.” Companies choose to bring people in because they like to see a face, they want to protect intellectual property and know who’s using it. And there’s the convenience, he said. “It’s convenient when people are there. If there’s a problem, it can be fixed. That trend will continue.” He emphasized, however, that “if rules are in place to make it more complicated to get work done, companies will move offshore.”
He noted that the Chamber wants the H-1B visas to go to the most skilled, highest paid workers, but the difficulties of setting a pay cap are problematic. “If you set a pay cap at say $120K, that will help places like New York and Silicon Valley, but everywhere else will get the short end…there is a political deal to be made, but how it will happen, I don’t know.”
Circling back to the travel ban, Baselice said that universities and tourist sites were “being pummeled” by the travel ban and that the Chamber was working very closely with the US Travel Association, the airlines, hotels, restaurants, and all the others who serve tourists to find a solution. “Once you start to see a decrease in bookings, lost economic activity in districts represented by Republicans, when colleges start to lose, particularly in smaller cities, you’ll see change in their behavior,” Baselice predicted. Between now and then, he said, the Chamber would continue advocating on businesses’ behalf.
--Reporting by Janice T. Radak for Global Cleveland
