[mbenjaminsmith]

I'm formerly of the US but I was going to say most of what you did.

There is absolutely a sense of entitlement in North America that seems pretty odd if you've lived in other countries.

My place is lot bigger than 500 sq feet but I've also been working since I was 14, left the US for Asia at 23 and have worked my ass off every day since college.

Beyond getting laid being a foreigner isn't usually a net gain in my experience. For every door is might open it closes one or more. My first company had heavy staff requirements (which meant lots of salaries, lots of HR time and lots of rent) but no bank would even talk to me (and my partners) because we were foreigners. We had to bootstrap the company with will alone.

Where the advantage lies is the perspective emigrating gives you. It allows you to better see how things truly are and focus on what's important. As screwed up as the US economy might be I have many Asian friends who have emigrated there in the last decade and have done very well for themselves. Why? Because they were willing to work their assess off.

[lotu]

> As screwed up as the US economy might be I have many Asian friends who have emigrated there in the last decade and have done very well for themselves. Why? Because they were willing to work their assess off.

So much to this, their are so many dry-cleaners and Chinese food store owners who are millionaires because of this.

[mbenjaminsmith]

Wow, I love racism.

My friends are: in art (on the business side), in beer (import), in tech (a couple of them) and one is a chef in NYC.

None of them are millionaires but they've done better in their careers than if they didn't go to fight it out in a different market.

[GFischer]

I didn't read the gp comment as racist. He was just pointing out that there are dry cleaners and food store owners that are doing well.

(I haven't been to the U.S., are all dry cleaners foreign?)