Gokulananda Nandan

Column
I am not alien
Nicholas Kristofs column Immigration enriches you and me reminds me of a bitter
reality about how immigrants or foreigners who come to US to stay over are perceived in
the land of opportunity- they are alien.
Yes, in 1040N R-EZ tax return forms the status quo of a foreign student like me is a
nonresident alien.
Look, I have problem with this word, though it means foreign too. Its applied connotation
in US cultural paradigm, as depicted in most Hollywood alien movies, is derogative.
Some extraterrestrial inhabitants, powerful and advanced in technology which all
nations are competing with each other for in the 21st century digital era are in
continuous effort to invade the earth. And all earthly people are in peril.
A July 2014 article in Huffington Post has substantiated this dreadful scoop. In a panel
discussion NASA space experts have mentioned they are very sure terrestrial living
beings are not alone in the universe. There are aliens out there and NASA would probably
track them down in next twenty years.
Good. But that doesnt explain why immigrants like me, who even in most exotic dream
cant be inhabitants of any other planet than earth, are called alien.
Is it a manifestation of what US citizens are incessantly insecure about? - Powerful and
advanced aliens would cloud their supremacy by descending on the earth.
May be.
However, how can something be ignored that has made it what it is?
Means, how immigrants are called illegal or aliens in US when itself comprises of
immigrants with the exception of 5.2 million Native Americans that represents only two
percent of US population as of 2013.

Immigration, as Obama has rightfully argued, is in the DNA of this country. Immigration
is a phenomenon that defines the ethos of US as a nation: perseverance, struggle for
survival, democracy and last but not the least, a global gateway both economically and
geographically for those who like to better their life.
Kristof in his above-mentioned column on this brewing debate over Obamas
immigration policy has outlined the history of immigrants in US.
He says from his personal account, My father, a refugee from Eastern Europe, was
preparing a fraudulent marriage to an American citizen as a route to this country when he
was sponsored, making fraud unnecessary. My wifes grandfather bought papers from
another Chinese villager to be able to come to the United States.
Sunday review exposure entitled Children of Immigrants has delineated both the
undertone of immigration struggle that has characterized this nation and how the present
generations long-standing relationship and amalgamation with present US culture has
changed their outlook about immigration. For them its not something that represents the
history of US but jeopardizes their job opportunities and encourages employers to bring
down the wage rate.
Its true that in some sectors, as Kristof says, more immigrants means fewer wages. But
the forbidden reality is the success in other sectors, especially in professional sector, owes
to brain-draining skill and talent of immigrants. And on top of that, displeasingly
acceptable yet enticing contribution of astronomical $100 billion to Social Security of US
without getting any benefit from the state.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than one quarter of computer
hardware and software jobs are occupied by Asian and Hispanic immigrants. As of 2013,
34.1 percent of software developers and applications jobs and 36 percent of software
hardware engineers positions are taken by these immigrants.

So, without these immigrants who are identified as alien the proliferation of US as a
global economic leader is quite impossible. The immigrants both students and
employees are backbone of US economy.
During the 2013-2014 academic year, International students created 340,000 jobs and
contributed $26.8 billion to the U.S. economy, according to NAFSAs latest economic
analysis.
Hence, I am, as an international student, not a taker but giver.
Every moment I am competing with my fellow US friends to make my life better, and I
love that. I am polishing my communication skill, writing skill and multimedia skill to
serve this country and other parts of the world. In true sense I am indebted to the land of
opportunity for what it has offered me so far.
In spite of all these, as Kristof says, because I couldnt win the prenatal jackpot of bornin-US, or my parents didnt consider to move to US before I was born, am I an alien?
It is ludicrous.
Word Count: 760
Audience: National audience
Clip: data set from BLS and the attached one.