US President Donald Trump has ordered the suspension of the H-1B visas till the end of the year while announcing a reform plan that will issue visas on basis of 'merit'. This includes J visas authorized for cultural exchange opportunities, camp counselors and au pairs, also spouses of H-1B workers. Those entering on H-2B seasonal worker visas, used by landscapers and other industries are also blocked.
Many of the people around the world criticized the move, including Congressmen and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, in disappointment towards the policy, tweeted, "Immigration has contributed immensely to America's economic success."
The slogan "make America great again" will find meaning only if one knows about the people who made it great, immigrants too.
Here is a list of such immigrants:
Albert Einstein: Einstein held citizenships of both Switzerland and Germany. He left for the US in 1933 as he opposed Adolf Hitler and his fascist policies. He became a citizen in 1940 when he taught theoretical physics at Princeton.
Nikola Tesla: Tesla, well known as the father of alternate current (AC), known for the fight between AC and DC. He moved to America from his native Serbia during the end of the 19th century, becoming an American citizen in 1891.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Arnold Schwarzenegger, an epitome figure in America and Hollywood, whose fame encircles the world. He was born in Austria just after the Second World War. Young Schwarzenegger always dreamt of going to the US. It came out to be true in 1968 when he arrived in the country aged 21 and barely knowing English. His debut movie was Hercules was made in New York. Conan the Barbarian made him a household name and he was also the Governor of California, for once.
Bruce Willis: Action star Bruce Willis was born in Germany to a native mother and an American father, the family moved to the USA when Willis was just two years old. Scenes from Die Hard and Pulp Fiction are unforgettable.
Sofia Vergara: Vergara was a Colombian actress, she played a breakout role in the TV sitcom Modern Family and became a household name. She got American citizenship in 2014. A joke in the sitcom also shows her character Gloria acing the citizenship examination.
Sundar Pichai: The Google and Alphabet CEO is a US citizen for many years now, not disconnected to his Indian roots. This Tuesday he responded with criticism to the US decision on citizenship.
Indira Nooyi: She is the former PepsiCo CEO, immigrated to the US when she was a student in 1978, studying management at Yale. Later, she joined Boston Consulting Group in 1980. The Indian-American has consistently ranked among the Forbes' world's 100 most powerful women.
Satya Nadella: The Microsoft CEO, the successor to Bill Gates to that post. On Tuesday, he retweeted Microsoft President Brad Smith's tweet that read, "Now is not the time to cut our nation off from the world's talent or create uncertainty and anxiety. Immigrants play a vital role at our company and support our country's critical infrastructure. They are contributing to this country at a time when we need them most. Nadella, like Pichai, has been an American citizen for many years now."
George Takei: Japanese-American LGBTQ icon, Takei has become a Twitter celebrity as he gained global recognition as Mr. Sulu in the Star Trek series. Most of his life was spent in the US. He was one of the earliest to speak out for LGBTQ rights in the country. He also faced racism after the Pearl Harbour bombing.
