[HNcow]

Is the argument here "don't worry about immigration because children of immigrants have potential to be great people"? Steve Jobs Syrian nationality has 0% to do with how he was raised, or the life he lived.

I am not trying to argue one side or the other, but I find this more of a "fun fact" than something that should matter at all for this topic.

[bad_user]

> Steve Jobs Syrian nationality has 0% to do with how he was raised, or the life he lived.

But that's the point, isn't it?

[aerovistae]

Couldn't've put it better myself.

[HNcow]

Sorry, maybe I'm misunderstanding?

What argument for pro-acceptance of migrants does this article/fact make?

[threatofrain]

For a policymaker looking for policy knobs to tune a labor population up and down, I suppose so, although there should probably be some quality filter.

[downandout]

Not only did his nationality have nothing to do with his success, his father had nothing to do with it. His father was not in his life, and until a few years ago, he was a hardly-successful manager at a small, grungy casino outside of Reno that caters to truck drivers called Boomtown. To say he was not well-liked among the staff would be an understatement (I've been there, and have asked dealers about him...the term "asshole" came up more than once).

It is entirely possible that some Syrians will create the next Apple, and that others will create the next horrific terrorist attack. People are people, and they're all different. The only thing that matters when it comes to immigration is math. Syria and surrounding areas have produced more terrorists per capita than other places. That's a reason to be careful with them, whether or not that is politically correct.

[skj]

The real impact of terrorism is only the fear we feel as a result. Alcohol is much more dangerous.

Compromising the principles on which the country was founded would be a victory only for the terrorists. For US citizens, and the rest of the world, it would be a tremendous shame.

[downandout]

If the principle you are referring to is unchecked immigration, that has never really been a principle in the US, even going back to the Ellis Island days. Alcohol, deer running across the highway, and bathtubs are currently more deadly than terrorist attacks. You can be sure that there are people that want to nothing more out of life than to change those statistics, and there's no reason to make it easier for them to accomplish their goals.

[karthick18]

The same people probably also want to curb Gun Violence?

[downandout]

Terrorists generally don't want to curb gun violence, no.

[SeanDav]

It matters because given the current climate of anti-immigrant rhetoric, immigration may become nigh on impossible. If this had happened a few decades ago there would be no Steve Jobs and no Apple, and an important contribution to American culture/technology/economy would never have happened.

There is a rather long and impressive list of Billionaire and influential recent immigrants or children of immigrants.

[tosseraccount]

But are they statistically more likely to be rich than native born?

I wouldn't confuse "anti-immigrant" with "anti-mass immigration".

We may be better off with a simple, more modest, legal only, citizenship oriented, points system.

[DanBC]

See also PG. But the anti-immigration crowd don't seem to mind so much if the people immigrating are white.

[hasenj]

I'm of middle eastern background and fully sympathetic to the Syrian cause. I was very happy about Canada welcoming Syrian refugees and I really don't like Trump.

That said I do agree with you. His father was Syrian but Steve was raised in an American house hold and has zero cultural/emotional connection to Syria and the middle east.

[amasad]

It matters because a lot of the debate was about letting in 5 year old or less orphans. And those children have as much chance to be successful contributors to society as Steve Jobs had when he was an adopted child.

[HNcow]

See that is actually differently entirely. This article is specifically about the offspring of migrants, not of the migrants themselves. Steve Jobs was born and raised in America, under very different circumstances than 5 year olds that want to leave Syria.

Once again, I am not arguing one way or the other, just that this argument is no more silly than "This baby will grow up to cure cancer, but was aborted so cancer will never be cured" ads.

[xd]

"potential to be great people" From all accounts I've read; he was in no way a great person - great business man, yes.