To start off, I am in the US currently on H1-B. I did my Bachelor's here in Computer Science, then got a job and working on a H1-B Visa for the past 2.5 years. I joined dailykos, last year before the November elections as a way to see how I could participate in Obama's march to victory. But recently, Some members of this community have showed me the same blind hatred that I see from Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh against Immigrants.
Recently, H1-Bs on this community were referred to as "indentured servants". That would include me, I was called an Indentured Servant. This was not said, in a way to feel sorry for the H1-Bs, no the tone was to say, well you are all "indentured servants" so you will do whatever is asked of you.
For a country, whose citizens have dealt with Slavery, I did not expect that, atleast not here.
It is assumed, that all H1-Bs work for cheap, they will do whatever their employers tell them to do. That we will throw our lives away, or for that matter that we have no life. Maybe some think H1-Bs, don't have a family here either, no wife, no kids, 2 year olds and 5 year olds.
Here are some truths (and I have me and other friends who are here on H1):
- We do get paid well, we do not work for dirt cheap. And Yes, we do work hard.
- I work hard for my company, because I want this small business I work for to grow. I was there at work, on 16th Jan, Friday, when most people had left work by 4 pm, with 3 other US RESIDENTS, working on a client issue till 8 pm, not because I got paid less and they got paid more, not because I was told to do so by my boss, but because WE worked together to solve the client's issue (a criticial issue).
- I am not a slave to my employers, or to anybody here for that matter. If I was, I would not be able to openly express criticism of any decision, or debate with my boss, or give my opinions freely. I do all of that and so do many of my friends.
Stop grouping everybody together. Stop generalizing us. Everybody working on an H1 here is not the same. Just because you met one person that fit your "views" of how an H1-B worker is, doesn't mean all of us are that way. That would then be equivalent of someone at redstate saying that all Illegal Immigrants are drug dealers.