Immigration is not the problem. Immigrants are actually a solution. | Sheryl Winarick | TEDxPorto

Summary

In this insightful speech, an immigration lawyer reflects on the misconceptions surrounding migration, emphasizing the importance of viewing immigrants as solutions to global issues like economic inequality, not as problems. Using personal stories and historical context, she contrasts immigration challenges in the U.S. and Portugal, praising Portugal's adaptive policies and community values. She highlights the need for humane immigration systems that benefit both newcomers and locals, advocating for a balanced approach that fosters social cohesion and respects human dignity. The speech underscores the value of inclusivity and government responsibility in addressing migration-related issues.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The speaker, an immigration lawyer, reflects on the misuse of the term 'refugees' when describing affluent people moving to cities like Austin, Texas.
• 💼 Refugees flee due to war, violence, or persecution, while other people move for different reasons such as work, education, or family reunification.
• 🧬 The speaker's personal history includes a grandfather who was a Russian Jewish refugee, fleeing religious persecution.
• 🗽 The speaker highlights that economic inequality, rather than immigration itself, is the central issue causing challenges in cities like Austin and Portugal.
• 💸 The influx of wealthier newcomers to Austin and Portugal is leading to rising living costs and displacing locals who have lived there for generations.
• 🏘️ Portugal's immigration policy has shifted in recent years to encourage immigration as a tool for economic development, contributing to rising housing prices.
• 📊 Immigration can provide solutions to financial crises, but it also creates challenges such as domestic labor shortages and housing demand.
• 🇵🇹 Portugal has been adaptive in its immigration policies, recently ending the 'Golden Visa' program to address housing crises while still maintaining human dignity.
• 🌎 Immigration can benefit both countries and individuals when done thoughtfully, balancing the needs of both immigrants and local citizens.
• 🤝 Social cohesion can be strengthened by treating immigrants with kindness and goodwill, building bridges between newcomers and locals.

Q & A

What was the initial topic of the news article that surprised the speaker?

The speaker expected the article to be about Americans moving to Portugal, but it was about the transformation of Austin, Texas, due to an influx of wealthy newcomers.

Why did the word 'refugees' in the article caption catch the speaker's attention?

The speaker is an immigration lawyer and has a specific understanding of the term 'refugees,' which refers to people fleeing war, violence, or persecution, not people moving for economic reasons.

What is the speaker’s personal connection to refugees?

The speaker's grandfather, Papa George, was a Russian Jewish refugee who fled religious persecution with his family to find safety in the United States.

How does the speaker differentiate between being a refugee and being an immigrant?

The speaker clarifies that refugees flee out of necessity, often to escape violence or persecution, whereas immigrants, like herself, often move by choice for reasons like improving quality of life.

What economic challenges does the speaker highlight in both Austin, Texas, and Portugal?

In both Austin and Portugal, an influx of wealthy newcomers has created economic inequality, pushing long-term residents out due to rising living costs and creating a gap between the rich and poor.

How has Portugal's immigration policy changed in response to economic crises?

Portugal encouraged emigration after the 2011 sovereign debt crisis to alleviate unemployment and has since shifted to encouraging immigration as a tool for economic development, especially through special resident visas.

What role does immigration play in the speaker's understanding of economic development?

The speaker sees immigration as a solution to economic problems, bringing in new talent and money while contributing to the local economy, as in the case of Portugal’s immigration policies.

What changes has the Portuguese government made regarding the Golden Visa program, and why?

The Portuguese government recently ended the Golden Visa program because, while it attracted foreign investment, it also contributed to a housing crisis. This decision reflects Portugal's focus on addressing the needs of its people.

How does the speaker describe Portugal's social and cultural environment for immigrants?

The speaker highlights the kindness, friendliness, and helpfulness of Portuguese people, noting that this relationship-oriented culture makes it easier for immigrants and visitors to feel welcome and integrated.

What message does the speaker convey about the role of immigration in society?

The speaker emphasizes that immigrants are not the problem but part of the solution to economic and social challenges. By valuing each other and fostering social cohesion, communities can thrive.

Outlines

00:00

📰 The Surprising Transformation of Austin

The speaker recounts receiving an article titled 'Californians are Turning This Laidback City into a Playground for the Rich' and expects it to be about Americans moving to Portugal. However, the article discusses the transformation of Austin, Texas, due to newcomers from Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and New York. The speaker, an immigration lawyer with experience helping refugees, reflects on how different types of migration exist, including refugees fleeing war and persecution, and contrasts that with economic migration. They share a personal story about their grandfather, a Russian Jewish refugee, and express concern over the term 'refugees' being used for wealthy individuals moving to Austin for lifestyle reasons. This sparks a discussion on the disparity of wealth between newcomers and locals.

05:04

📈 Economic Inequality in Austin and Portugal

The speaker addresses how the core issue in Austin and Portugal is economic inequality, where wealthier newcomers are displacing locals. They highlight that while immigration is not the problem, the disparity in wealth creates challenges. Austin's rising housing costs are similar to Portugal’s situation, where an influx of foreign residents has made housing less affordable for locals. The speaker emphasizes that global migration has multiple causes, including economic opportunities and crises, and points out that these problems can drive both internal and international migration.

10:09

🌍 Portugal’s Immigration Policy as an Economic Solution

The speaker discusses Portugal's progressive immigration policies, which have shifted from encouraging emigration during the 2011 financial crisis to welcoming immigrants as a solution for economic recovery. A special residency visa for foreigners, including the speaker, contributes to the local economy by requiring residents to pay taxes and spend a significant portion of the year in the country. The speaker argues that international migration can be beneficial, both for immigrants and the host country, and stresses that the balance between welcoming immigrants and addressing local concerns must be managed thoughtfully.

🏡 The Housing Crisis and Portugal’s Adaptive Policies

The speaker praises Portugal's government for being willing to adapt its immigration policies in response to emerging challenges. They discuss the recent decision to end the Golden Visa program, which attracted wealthy foreigners but also contributed to the housing crisis. The speaker compares this proactive approach with the U.S., where immigration policies have stagnated for over 30 years. They highlight Portugal's success in managing immigration to benefit the local population while maintaining core values such as human dignity.

👥 The Social Impact of Immigration in Portugal

The speaker reflects on how immigration in Portugal has fostered a welcoming and relationship-oriented culture. They share personal experiences of interacting with immigrants from various countries, noting how Portugal’s culture promotes kindness, goodwill, and inclusion. The speaker emphasizes that while immigration can challenge social norms, it can also strengthen communities when newcomers are integrated and treated with respect.

🌍 Immigration as a Path to Stronger Communities

The speaker concludes by stressing the importance of valuing each other and holding governments accountable for finding solutions to economic inequality and other societal problems. They argue that when immigration is managed with care and immigrants are embraced, it can create stronger, more cohesive communities. The speaker urges continued commitment to core values and reminds the audience that immigration can benefit everyone when done thoughtfully.

Keywords

💡Refugees

Refugees are individuals who flee their home countries due to war, violence, or persecution, seeking safety across international borders. In the video, the speaker, an immigration lawyer, emphasizes the specific reasons for refugee migration and contrasts them with voluntary migration, such as the movement of wealthy individuals to cities like Austin or countries like Portugal. This distinction is central to understanding the difference between necessity-driven and choice-driven migration.

💡Immigration

Immigration refers to the movement of people into a country to live or work. The speaker, as an immigration lawyer, argues that immigration is not inherently harmful but can be a solution to many problems faced by both individuals and nations. The discussion highlights how different types of immigration, whether economic or humanitarian, have shaped societies and economies, particularly in Austin and Portugal.

💡Economic Inequality

Economic inequality refers to the disparity in wealth and income between different groups of people. The video emphasizes how the influx of wealthy individuals into Austin and Portugal has widened the gap between the rich and the local population, driving locals out due to rising living costs. The speaker highlights this as a core issue behind migration patterns, stressing that the wealth disparity between newcomers and locals creates tension and displacement.

💡Silicon Valley Refugees

This term refers to the migration of wealthy professionals from tech hubs like Silicon Valley to more affordable and desirable places like Austin. The speaker critiques the casual use of the term 'refugees' in this context, pointing out that these individuals are not fleeing war or persecution, but are seeking better quality of life, which contrasts with the legal definition of refugees. This highlights the misuse of terminology and the privileged nature of this migration.

💡Golden Visa

A Golden Visa is a residency program that allows wealthy foreigners to invest in a country in exchange for residency. The speaker mentions Portugal's Golden Visa program, which attracted foreign investment but also contributed to a housing crisis by driving up property prices. The recent decision to end the program reflects the government's attempt to balance economic growth with the needs of its citizens.

💡Social Cohesion

Social cohesion refers to the sense of community and mutual support among members of a society. The speaker argues that successful immigration fosters social cohesion when newcomers are integrated into the local community, rather than causing separation. In Portugal, the speaker praises the kindness and welcoming attitude of the local population toward immigrants, which enhances social cohesion and creates harmonious communities.

💡Housing Crisis

A housing crisis occurs when the demand for housing exceeds the supply, leading to skyrocketing prices and displacement of local residents. The speaker links the housing crisis in Austin and Portugal to the influx of wealthy newcomers, whose spending power inflates the housing market, forcing long-time residents out of their homes. This serves as an example of the unintended consequences of unchecked migration driven by economic factors.

💡Human Dignity

Human dignity is the belief that all people deserve respect and fair treatment, regardless of their background or circumstances. The speaker praises Portugal for its immigration policies that prioritize the dignity of all individuals, ensuring that migrants are treated with respect and given opportunities to integrate into society. This value contrasts with the speaker's criticism of the U.S. immigration system, which has struggled to reform its policies for decades.

💡Migration Policy

Migration policy refers to the laws and regulations governing how a country manages immigration and emigration. The speaker contrasts Portugal’s proactive approach to adapting its migration policy to meet the needs of its citizens with the U.S., which has struggled to implement meaningful reform. The speaker argues that flexible and innovative migration policies can address economic challenges and foster positive social outcomes.

💡Core Values

Core values are the fundamental beliefs that guide a society or individual’s actions. The speaker emphasizes that Portugal’s approach to immigration is shaped by core values like human dignity, kindness, and social responsibility. This focus on maintaining core values while addressing the challenges of immigration is presented as a model for other countries to follow, demonstrating how values can shape policy and societal attitudes towards newcomers.

Highlights

The speaker is an immigration lawyer with 25 years of experience, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing refugees from other migrants.

Refugees are specifically defined as people fleeing war, violence, or persecution, while others migrate for a variety of reasons such as work, education, or family reunification.

The speaker's personal connection to immigration is highlighted through her grandfather, a Russian Jewish refugee who fled religious persecution.

She draws a parallel between her ancestors’ immigration experience and her own move to Portugal, emphasizing that her migration was a choice, unlike her ancestors'.

The speaker argues that immigration is not inherently harmful but is often a solution to economic disparities and other global issues.

Austin, Texas, and Portugal are both experiencing an influx of wealthier newcomers, which is creating economic inequality and displacement of locals.

The central issue in immigration stories is often the disparity of wealth between newcomers and locals, not the act of immigration itself.

Portugal’s government has used immigration policy as a tool for economic development, particularly after the 2011 financial crisis.

A special resident visa in Portugal allows people to live in the country while contributing to the local economy, a policy that supports both immigrants and the local community.

Portugal's approach to immigration is praised for being driven by the needs of the people, while still maintaining core values such as the guarantee of human dignity.

The Golden Visa program in Portugal, which attracted foreign investment, was recently ended due to its contribution to the housing crisis, showing the government's willingness to adapt.

The speaker contrasts Portugal’s innovative immigration policies with the lack of significant solutions in the U.S. over the past 30 years.

The speaker appreciates Portugal's relationship-oriented culture, where people value each other, creating a positive experience for immigrants and visitors.

The importance of perspective is highlighted; the way people think about immigrants directly impacts their behavior towards them.

The speaker concludes that immigration can be a win-win situation when it is managed with a focus on valuing people and promoting social cohesion.

Transcripts

Transcriber: Carolina Mejía Reviewer: Walaa Mohammed

A friend sent me a news article last week with

the title Californians are Turning This Laidback City into a Playground for

the Rich. My first thought was another article about

Americans moving to Portugal.

But when I clicked to read more,

I was surprised to find that this article was about

the astonishing transformation of Austin, my hometown in Texas.

The caption reads Refugees from Silicon Valley, Hollywood and New York.

I was immediately distracted by the word refugees.

For 25 years, I've been working as an immigration lawyer,

helping people from all over the world live and work in the United States.

I've worked with refugees,

and their reasons for leaving home are very specific.

Refugees are people who fled war violence or persecution and crossed

an international border to find safety in another country.

People move for different reasons.

Everything from fleeing trauma to seeking work

or education to reuniting with family, to pursuing a dream.

My clients are highly talented scientists and entrepreneurs and artists,

as well as people seeking humanitarian refuge for so many people,

moving is not a choice, it’s a necessity.

On a personal level, I'm the granddaughter of a refugee.

My grandfather, Papa George,

traveled by boat from Europe to the United States with his mom and sister

The boat was packed with Russian Jewish refugees.

Ten years earlier, his dad Isaac

had left Russia seeking a safe home. Freedom and opportunity.

Over 2.5 million Jews fled religious persecution in Russia

and Eastern Europe between 1880 and the 1920s.

All of my ancestors, they were refugees.

And when they landed in New York,

they had the opportunity to redefine themselves.

Isaac was a tailor by trade, ten years of hard work,

saving money and laying a foundation to support his family.

And finally they would be reunited.

I always wonder what my grandfather as a little boy was wondering

as he sailed across the Atlantic, leaving everything familiar behind.

He never went back. None of them did. 100 years later. Exactly.

I'm an immigrant in Portugal. I'm not a refugee.

I chose to move, and it's safe for me to go back.

My own quality of life was a consideration.

But I also don't want to do harm to anyone else's quality of life.

If anything, I always try to do what I can to improve life for

the people around me. Articles about people from California

and New York moving to Portugal and to my hometown of Austin, Texas.

Cut to the heart of what I want to talk about today.

Immigration is not the problem.

The central issue in both of these stories is

the disparity of wealth between newcomers and locals.

Economic inequality exists between different countries,

and it exists between people who live in the same country.

Austin is facing the same issues that Portugal is facing due to

the influx of newcomers who have more spending power than the average local.

People who have lived in Austin for generations are having to move out of

the city. International migration is not the problem,

but very real problems do exist. Economic inequality is one.

Natural disasters like earthquakes and famine and flood war and persecution,

financial crises, the absence of jobs, the absence of workers to fill jobs.

These are problems that are inherently harmful,

problems that would be beneficial to completely eliminate.

And these problems contribute to the movement of people within countries

and across international borders. Portugal is a great example.

The flow of immigrants to Portugal,

especially people like me from outside of Europe, is a new phenomenon.

Throughout history, Portugal has been a country of emigration,

people leaving very real problems cause people to leave,

like the disparity of wealth between Portugal and other countries in Europe,

as well as the gap between the rich and the poor within Portugal.

After the 2011 sovereign debt crisis,

the government encouraged emigration as a solution to high unemployment

and low wages. Portuguese people living outside of Portugal could find work

and send money home. In recent years,

the government has encouraged immigration as a solution to the financial crisis,

using immigration policy as a tool for economic development.

A special resident visa allows people like me to live in Portugal.

If the source of my income is outside of Portugal,

I'm required to pay taxes and spend at least eight months out of

the year living inside the country,

which contributes to the local economy and makes me feel invested in Portugal.

This is my home, so

you can see international migration can be

a solution to problems that exist. And immigration is not inherently harmful.

It's a solution to for people like my Papa George and my ancestors and

so many of my clients and maybe you or someone you know.

It's also a solution for countries,

and immigration is a challenge to be done successfully.

It requires effort and the ability to adapt.

There's a balance between the benefit that immigrants bring to a country,

the burden felt by individual citizens and

the cost of overly limiting immigration. The weight is always shifting.

In Portugal's case, so many workers leaving

the country caused new problems to emerge, like the demand for domestic labour,

especially considering the flow of immigrants into the country,

the flow of immigrants into the country

and their money contributes to economic development,

and it creates a demand for housing which causes prices to rise,

much like we're seeing in my hometown in the United States.

But unlike the United States,

Portugal's immigration policy is driven by the needs of

the Portuguese people while remaining committed to the country's core values,

primarily the absolute guarantee of human dignity.

Also, unlike the United States,

where the government has failed to implement any significant solutions in

over 30 years, which is longer than I've practiced immigration law,

the Portuguese government is trying.

This willingness to experiment

and try new innovative approaches to problems that exist instead of staying

stuck is something to be proud of. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

Just last month, the government announced the end of the Golden Visa,

a program that allows wealthy foreigners to invest money in

the United States and that allows wealthy foreigners to invest money in Portugal

without having to live in Portugal.

Time That program served its purpose of attracting foreign investment,

but it also contributed to a housing crisis. Time to change.

This is what it looks like when

a country's immigration policy is driven by the needs of the people.

Countries around the world could learn a lot from Portugal's advance.

Portugal's example, not only the government's efforts to adapt

and confront new issues as they arise, but the people, too.

And I really hope this doesn't change.

One of the things that I love most about Portugal is

the relationship oriented culture. The way that people value each other.

Everyone I meet in Portugal is kind and friendly and helpful,

and other foreigners agree.

From my Bangladeshi taxi driver who's been a resident for years,

to a friend originally from Thailand who has

the same residence visa to visitors from Pakistan and Ecuador,

and an American former refugee from the Congo.

As an immigrant and even as a visitor.

It makes a world of difference to be treated this way,

and it truly feels like this way of being in relationship with each other is

the social norm. As an immigration lawyer,

I understand how immigration can challenge social norms

and not always how we expect.

Consider this The way we think about people impacts

the way that we act towards people.

We recreate and

reinforce our own culture every day through our thoughts

and our actions. Perspective is critical.

The way that we think about people is critical.

Immigration is a challenge, but immigrants aren't the problem.

Immigrants are actually a solution to very real problems that exist.

We either continue to treat everyone with kindness and goodwill. Building bridges.

Even drawing newcomers into the circle to create greater social cohesion.

Or we create separation and distance.

We're far more likely to succeed in creating

the kind of communities where we want to live,

when we remain committed to our own core values, to valuing each other.

So let's continue to hold governments accountable for solutions to

the very real problems that exist and impact us all.

And remember that immigration can be a win

for everyone when we value each other. Obrigada.