cbbrew22 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I read this on reddit the other day and thought I would share. Basically, a question was asked about why immigrants own specific types of businesses and this is one person's answer. Worth the read IMO. --- Say it's 2245 you are the first from your family to immigrate from the US to China. The American economy is crumbling, you are underemployed, and you want your children to actually get a good education and have career opportunities, so you move to the economic and cultural center of the world - China.It's likely that I might have to spend most if not all of my money to do this. So you pack everything you own, you get there and you are broke. What next? The first thing I would do upon arrival is find other Americans who have come before me. I hope that they can show me how they got settled and help me do the same. Maybe this means letting me, my wife, and our children sleep in their basement for 3 months, or teaching us how to shop in a Chinese supermarket with only English or letting us copy off of their immigration / tax / work forms because we don't know what they hell they say. And certainly show us how to get them into school.Next, I ask them what they do for a job and if they can help me get one too. I am a lawyer in the states, but I don't give a shit what I do in China as long as I can get my kids into a good school and make sure that they can do whatever they want. So, I ask Frank (he changed his name to 冯 because no one over here understands these crazy English names). Anyway, I ask 冯 where he works. He tells me that he has a pizza shop called Cowboy Baseball Mountains (for some reason a combination of 7 "American" words have to be in all pizza shops). Anyway, he says I can work there while I learn Chinese (which is really difficult because I only work with other Americas), save up money, and am able to move out of his basement.So I get to work. And I work my ass off. I don't give a damn, I'll work 25 hours a day if I have to. I am not about to move my family half way around the world and then let them down. Eventually, I am able to save up enough money to move into a new place. Luckily another American family I knew just moved up to a bigger house and knew we were looking for a starter. It was great, because I'd be screwed if I had to a look for a place in chinese on the market.A couple of years go by and my kids are doing great in school. They speak Chinese better than they speak English now. Which is great, seeing as I still don't speak a lick of it because I've been making, selling, and delivering pizzas this whole time with 冯 and some asshole named 杜 who just moved here from Texas. Luckily my kids help me translate anytime that something unexpected comes up.A few more years go by and I have finally scraped together enough money so I can stop working for 冯 and I can finally start my own thing. You know what I am really good at? Making pizzas. I've made 10,000 pizzas over the last 10 years and I'll be damned if I don't make the best crust and the tangiest sauce this side of the Yangtze. Also, 冯 showed me how to run the business and told me he would help walk me through the start-up. This is going to be great. I can't wait to open Cadillac Swamps and start working for myself. However, I have to spend most of my capital in starting this place up. So I ask my son and daughter (who are in high school now and are really embarrassed of their round, blue eyes, which breaks my heart because god they look just like their grandmother's eyes) to help me until I can start up the restaurant. My wife works there too. I say works there to be nice, it's more like we live there. But hey, we are together and making it work. If we all stick together we can really make this place a success.A year or so later, I get a call from my college roommate. He tells me his brother Jason just got fired from his job and is through with the US and is determined to come to China. I tell him to have Jason give me a call. I can help him out. Hell, if he and his family need to crash in my basement for a few months that is cool with me. And don't worry about a job. I've got him covered. Posted by redditor t_bone26 ___ Growing up in white, middle-class suburbia myself, I feel like this gives me a lot of respect and understanding for how hard immigrants have it when coming to the US. What are your thoughts? daegor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I hope in the year 2245 man is not worrying about immigrating to China, but immigrating to mars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudeboydh Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I would totally eat at a place called Cowboy Baseball Mountains. travis, littlebistro and daegor 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmhmm Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 That was a good read. Seeing it from a different angle like that makes me appreciative of the experience immigrants have coming here. Thanks for posting it. travis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebistro Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I ate Chinese buffet the other day, it was not tasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Hundred Fifty-Two Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Space migration. Start staking your claim on the moon. The new wild wild west. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noalarmplanet Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I just love putting things like "Moon" or "Space" in front of words. "Come on baby just one night of space sex!" mmhmm and hobohunter48 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konk Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 If everyone stayed in their own countries , we wouldn't have this problem. His kids aren't even happy, which is why he moved there in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daegor Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 If everyone stayed in their own countries , we wouldn't have this problem. His kids aren't even happy, which is why he moved there in the first place. :| The American economy is crumbling, you are underemployed, and you want your children to actually get a good education and have career opportunities, so you move to the economic and cultural center of the world - China. :| Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noalarmplanet Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 If everyone stayed in their own countries , we wouldn't have this problem. His kids aren't even happy, which is why he moved there in the first place. Most people would rather work a shit job than live in a shit country. daegor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konk Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I left out my rant about outsourcing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicondevil Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 It is interesting how some people who immigrate to America to find a better life, work their ass off to get it. They understand they have that opportunity if they work hard to be successful. On the other end, we have American born citizens who are disenfranchised and really don't do much to break the cycle. Complain and blame seems to be their method of dealing with adversity. Of course, there are many factors that make every situation different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konk Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 We can't undo what we've done and there's no arguing the education is better, it already is. Plus kids always complain about their looks. It's just like the smart black kid with the wealthy parents who goes to an all white private school. Obviously they are making sacrifices for a better life. Maybe we should tax the fuck out of them. And shipments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daegor Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 It is interesting how some people who immigrate to America to find a better life, work their ass off to get it. They understand they have that opportunity if they work hard to be successful. On the other end, we have American born citizens who are disenfranchised and really don't do much to break the cycle. Complain and blame seems to be their method of dealing with adversity. Of course, there are many factors that make every situation different. I think the main difference is that in a "First World Country" you have the perception that you are on the top, so to speak... The potential immigrant sees their personal situation, becomes disenfranchised, realizes that things could be better if they moved to a first world country. And so they do, and work hard to make a new life. The first world citizen sees their personal situation, becomes disenfranchised, and does nothing and/or relies on the government to assist them. Why? There isn't that perceived "out" of leaving, no perceived ability to make a new life. The immigrant is in a situation where they can't just stay home and open a pizza shop and make a new life, they really do have to leave to make something like that work. The first world citizen could very well start a pizza shop, work 25 hours a day, and make a new life for his/her family WITHOUT having to leave the country, but doesn't. It's all perception. Obviously I'm wildly stereotyping and the above should be not be applied to anyone's personal situation. cbbrew22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daegor Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Maybe we should tax the fuck out of them. And shipments. Why? A citizen is a citizen, why does it matter where they came from? As long as the immigration process is fair for both the country they are coming to and the immigrant (that's a whole other discussion...) I don't see why they should be treated any differently once they have landed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konk Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Because they're taking our jobs!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebistro Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=768h3Tz4Qik nobodybrokeurheart and hobohunter48 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daegor Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Because they're taking our jobs!!!!!!!!! See comment regarding a fair immigration process for both sides. If there actually aren't enough jobs, they shouldn't be let in in the first place. HOWEVER, often the "they're taking all of the jobs!!" argument is just a perception. They see an immigrant working every corner store in their city and decide that this is what's going on. When in reality the majority of people making those complaints would never be willing to work a job like that. lexicondevil 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbbrew22 Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 If everyone stayed in their own countries , we wouldn't have this problem. His kids aren't even happy, which is why he moved there in the first place. His kids aren't that happy now, but I guarantee years from now they will be thankful. Its a bold and honorable move to take a step that will benefit your kids and their kids and generations to come. Its completely selfless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konk Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 When in reality the majority of people making those complaints would never be willing to work a job like that. They would if they didn't get food stamps. daegor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbbrew22 Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 They would if they didn't get food stamps. So so so true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konk Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I swear I'm not a Republican! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonsofvipers Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 That was a good read. Seeing it from a different angle like that makes me appreciative of the experience immigrants have coming here. Thanks for posting it. this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 always love when middle class, white people tell poor and disfranchised people how to live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Definitely an interesting read and concept, though the writing itself could use some work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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