President Trump’s recent ruling on immigration and refugees looks uncomfortably familiar. And that doesn’t bode well for our economy.
Walter Isaacson - author and president of The Aspen Institute - talks about the immigrants behind some of the greatest inventions of the past century, and what a stricter immigration stance could mean for the future of innovation.
Three Takeaways:
- Trump’s phrase, “America First,” has an uncomfortable historical connotation. “That phrase was meant to stop America from admitting refugees [during World War II],” Isaacson explains. “[It] was against Jewish refugees, against any involvement in the European conflict.”
- Exclusion of immigrants and refugees usually doesn’t work out great for the originating country, says Isaacson. “The rise of Hitler led to the expulsion of a whole lot of scientists… [and] what do they have in common? They end up inventing the atomic bomb.”
- Isaacson says that Silicon Valley can thank migrants for its success. “You look at Google, Microsoft, even Steve Jobs, whose father was a Syrian refugee. These great companies have been propelled by the power of immigration and refugees.”
More Reading:
- Can't get enough of Walter Isaacson? Check out this excerpt from his book, The Innovators.
- Trump's anti-immigration policy hits close to home for I-Hub. Read how it originated 100 years ago, right here in Boston.
- Watch Charlie Rose interview Andrew Grove and his biographer, Richard Tedlow.
