Immigrant students form the future of California

By Venkates Swaminathan, special for Calmatters

This comment was originally published by CalmattersS Register about their ballots.

The first time I got on a plane was for a flight from Delhi, India to JFK Airport in New York. I came to the United States as a student, first to the University of Illinois and after winning a master’s degree, in California, where I have lived since. I created companies, hired people and created a life here.

My story is the story of countless others who came to America to study, work and build. My assistantist at ARVINE Krishna is now CEO of IBM. Millions of others came to California and continued to create life and opportunities.

In order to be sure, international students are not the only one – or the biggest – an immigrant community. Earlier this summer, I attended the graduation of my niece from UC San Diego and visited Chicano Park, where large murals decorate the outdoor cathedral for community activism, celebrating millions of immigrants whose work and creativity have built California.

This makes today’s news so hard to watch. As the founder of a college consultation service, I have a place for the front row of a wave of recent federal policies that change education.

The Supreme Court has recently allowed the US Department of Education Refuse thousands to employees, causing delay in financial aid processing, delaying civil rights investigations and challenges to communities.

This is just the most hit. There was Financing Funds for ResearchA wave of new obstacles for visas and efforts for Dismantling of initiatives for diversity and inclusion which help students with insufficient performance. And, of course, recent ice raids have Interrupted long -warmed immigrant communities In cities like Los Angeles.

I have seen the pulsation effects in my work. Some international students are afraid to apply for college, afraid to go for a distant campus, or to be afraid to come to the United States at all.

Many students I advise are immigrants or immigrant children. The mother of the college -bound student is from Vietnam and worked in a nail salon in Oakland. The student, while still in high school, coped with the family taxes, filling out forms and holds a job.

She also won a full scholarship. After completing my education, I am confident that it will make a remarkable contribution to the world.

A student whose parents emigrated from India went to UC Berkeley to a scholarship after developing an app to detect “forever chemicals” in the water supply of their community. Another student whose parents came from Mexico to build a life in southern California is now in a Cal State Fullerton nursing program.

There are thousands of these stories throughout the country. Every young person has the potential to shape our future, to become the next great leader, innovator or healer.

International students not only bring skills and ambition – they carry real dollars in California.

Approximately 141,000 international students in California spends $ 6.4 billion In 2023, in support of 55,000 jobs, according to the Association of NAFSA international teachers. In public universities such as UC and CSU, these students of these students Higher training helps financing financial assistance and services for residents.

Broader, household immigrant households contribute to $ 715 billion or around one third of the gross domestic product of the stateS Undunted Californians alone Pay about $ 8.5 billion a year state and local taxesS

Much of the comments about recent changes in politics correctly focus on cruelty, but these measures are harmful all of usS

California’s power comes from his immigrant communities. Our leadership in science, technology, agriculture and the arts depends on students, scientists and workers from all over the world.

For protesters fighting to preserve the rights and capabilities of immigrants, your battle is our battle. To those who think this does not affect you, I promise it will. It touches your economy and the future of your children. And for the leaders who improve these policies in Washington and elsewhere, stop before California and America lose the strengths themselves that build them.

This article was Originally Published on CalMatters and was reissued under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives License.