Looking at Ace this morning, an article by Brock Throckmorton described Trump issuing an ” Executive Order to combat H-1B abuses, and to hold accountable those employers who terminate American employees and then replace them with foreign H-1B labor.”
Throckmorton described several aspects of the H-1B – one of which I recognized from before my retirement: ” It’s a form of chattel labor, in which the H-1B worker is paid less than American prevailing wages, creating a de facto indentured servant relationship, because the H-1B employee may not seek other employment.”
Prasanthi had a job to teach faculty how to handle online classes. I was kind of resentful at being ordered to her for training – mostly because my department head had set up the class, and I knew it wouldn’t draw enough students to fill. Waste of time on two counts. On the other hand, I got to know Prasanthi, and realize that with an H-1B, she really was chattel to the university. She also explained that life was better in the US, in South Dakota, than in India – a place where color matters more.
After learning how the H-1B left her chattel, I agreed to serve as a reference for any jobs she might apply for. When the visa comes from your employer, it’s hard to find a coworker or supervisor you can rely on as a reference. The last I heard from Prasanthi was a thank-you for serving as a reference – she had moved on to another job. I hope she wound up free of the H-1B, and I hope she moved on to permanent residency and citizenship.
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