I just wanted to offer this simple addition to the conversation. Donald Trump has proposed ways to increase the number of skilled immigrants in the US. He's taken to making virtuous gestures towards demanding that immigrants to the US be highly skilled, trained, ready for business.
Trump is serially unaware of the things he attempts to attack.
What he knows, however, is that the word "Diversity” is only used derisively by his supporters. This is another moment of the exploitation of the ignorance of the GOP base. They are basing their entire conclusion now on the fact that a Democrat had something to do with a "Diversity” program.
They aren't thinking “diversity” of country of origin. His fans are thinking “Affirmative Action". The image produced in their mind is not a skilled white European who gains the benefit. They see the image you would expect, based on their preconceptions of these terms.
At the heart of this is the raise Act, proposed by Republicans senators, which would move the United States from an immigration system that focusses(sic) on family reunification to one that prioritizes skills and experiences suited to the job market.
The law was passed in 1990. It was sponsored by Chuck Schumer, but it was eventually absorbed into the immigration bill.
Congressional Quarterly wrote about the law when it was passed. (For some reason, this link will not allow me to post it. I have to search it every time. library.cqpress.com/...) www.google.com/...
The legislation, several years in the making, comprehensively revised the country's 25-year-old visa system, with a primary goal of increasing the immigration of Europeans and specially trained workers.
This is the problem with trying to deal with Trump and the GOP. They base everything on AD HOC rationalizations that are always intended to exploit the situation for the greatest political gain.
The intent of this law was to bring in skilled Europeans, but when TrumGOP and their fans are faced with the word “diversity”, the image they see is almost certainly not a white, or even slightly tan, European. The immediate reaction to “diversity” is to feel fear. They've been trained to believe that "diversity” will ultimately lead to a loss of their current “status”.
Part of the point of the law was to counteract the perceived problems associated with prioritizing family members for entry into the US.
Under the existing law, which favored foreigners with immediate relatives in the United States, all but about 10 percent of the people who qualified for visas came from Asia and Latin America.
The new law, which was to take effect Oct. 1, 1991, would allow legal immigration to climb from about 500,000 people to about 700,000 during each of the first three years of the act. After that, a permanent level of 675,000 people would be in place. A category of “diversity” visas would be created to benefit nationals of countries, primarily in Europe, adversely affected by the 1965 law. (Provisions, p. 482)
Republicans have been particularly good at training their believers to respond to certain buzzwords. In the dogma of the GOP, the encouragement of “diversity” is wrong, and they are only able to perceive “diversity” in racial terms.
I think we're probably all aware by now that this only applies to certain countries, and the immigrants must be educated, and they must satisfy the normal requirements. It is not a free pass.
en.wikipedia.org/...
To enter the lottery, applicants must have been born in an eligible country. If selected, to qualify for the immigrant visa, they must have completed at least a high school education or at least two years of work experience in an occupation which requires at least two other years of training or experience.[12] They must also satisfy general immigration requirements, such as means of support, no criminal background, and good health.
Eligibility is determined by the applicant's country of birth. In some cases, the applicant may use a parent's or spouse's country of birth instead. The country of residence or nationality is irrelevant.[12]