US president says ‘immigrants are what makes us strong’ and criticizes countries, plus China and Russia, over migration policy

Archived version: https://archive.ph/ovD0O

  • livus@kbin.social
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    7 months ago

    EDIT: I’m talking per capita. Aka proportion.

    Percentage of US citizens who weren’t born in the US is usually around 16%. A bunch of other countries it’s more like 27%.

    Same with UK these days, 16% as @Jaffa pointed out it’s a bad example. Should have gone with one of the others.

    In countries with a higher percentage of immigration the percentage is obviously much higher. Here’s a handy chart.


    Okay Biden now compare yourself to the UK Australia which has about 35% more immigrants than the US.

    Or Canada, or Australia, or Singapore, or Switzerland, or New Zealand…

    • Tikiporch@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I’d love to see your source on that, but when you go look you’ll find you were waaaaay off and be too embarrassed to reply that you were wrong.

      I’ll point you in the right direction though. According to the United Nations, the USA has over five times more immigrants than the UK. Nearly as many immigrants as the UK has people.

      • livus@kbin.social
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        7 months ago

        I’m talking per capita. I’ve now edited the above comment and added a source.

        Sorry for the confusion, I don’t know why I thought that since I was talking about percentages it would be obvious I’m referring to per capita numbers, because re-reading my comment I see it’s ambiguous.

        But come on, have a heart. New Zealand only has 5 million people in it, total. You must think I’m incredibly, mindblowingly stupid if you think I’m saying the US somehow has fewer immigrants than that!

      • livus@kbin.social
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        7 months ago

        I don’t like that website but you’re right, the UK are about the same as the US with just 15 or 16%.

        I thought they were the same as the rest of the anglosphere but they’re not! Shouldn’t have picked them to make my point, should have picked Australia after all. Will edit.

        My point still stands though. He had a really low bar of comparison, and if he knows immigration is what makes you strong then the obvious implication is he should be amping for more immigration.

        Idk it just seemed like a really weird speech.

      • jumjummy@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Interesting that the site lists “residents” and then has Saudi Arabia way up there. I wonder what those numbers would be like if they didn’t count their slaves foreign workers.

    • SuperApples@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I am currently living rent-free in Japan because there’s so many empty houses that just need looking after.

      Everywhere in Japan has a declining population except Tokyo and Osaka, and both cities are well designed and don’t feel crowded. I think Japan is around the 50th most densely populated country, but the very well designed public transport systems and well planned (and mostly hidden!) highways make it so much more open and walk-able than many less densely populated places.

      The only place that feels crowded is Kyoto and that’s because it was never built to sustain the level of tourism it attracts.

      Japan has a limitless water supply. They don’t even charge for the stuff in many places (like here). The agriculture industry is strong and supplies most of the food.

      The country is still like 70%+ untouched forest.

      Japanese policy and mainstream culture is xenophobic and racist, mostly towards Asians (and indigenous people, and lower caste people), but starting to improve based on sheer desperation because of the declining population and economy. Unfortunately, few have the language competency required to work here, and basically no one here can speak English, which makes it really hard to attract people, as the government has not put in the support measures like Korea (a more densely populated place with an even lower birthrate!). It’s not uncommon to see Desi, Vietnamese and Thai workers in convenience stores in Tokyo now though.

        • tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip
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          7 months ago

          There’s a mountain range that runs essentially down the middle of the entire country, which makes human habitation largely untenable in those areas. No one’s coming for the forest there.

        • SuperApples@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          I learned the language during high school, working in Japan after that, then doing a lot of translation work work back in Australia. In recent years we just visit visa-free for three months each year, and stay in this old house up north in exchange for doing a few jobs around the place to stop it deteriorating further after the winter chill.

          If we wanted to live here full-time we’d have to get local jobs, but I have zero interest in working for a Japanese company. Would sooner start my own business, which has gotten easier recently but is still highly monitored for the first few years.

          • Obi@sopuli.xyz
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            7 months ago

            Nice. Yeah a friend of mine is trying to move there but it’s taking him many years, also learned the language etc and playing the visa games. I never been and have so much expectations from it I want to make it special when I go, but I know immigration isn’t for me because I don’t think I can be arsed learning the language.

            • PlexSheep@infosec.pub
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              7 months ago

              Learning Japanese takes a lot of effort. I’m in it for over one year and I still find myself amazed at anything I understand, even it’s gotten more common.

    • Melkath@kbin.social
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      7 months ago

      Also incorrect.

      Largely due to the birthrate crisis and a problem with abandoned homes, Japan is trying to entice people from other countries and of child bearing age to sign contracts where they get an abandoned home for dirt cheap if they commit to renovating the home and living in it for at least 10 years.

      • nahuse@sh.itjust.works
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        7 months ago

        If this is the case, can you please provide some proof?

        I’m sure there are plenty of people who would love to take advantage of such a program.

    • NoneOfUrBusiness@kbin.social
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      7 months ago

      As another guy living in Japan (not rent-free though; I live in Osaka) this place is ridiculously well designed. Even Osaka (3rd biggest city in Japan after Tokyo and Yokohama) has enough space you could easily take in a whole bunch of people before it becomes even uncomfortably crowded.