GSholz,
In my work-life experience, Ex-Pats normally get very nice financial arrangements for living and working overseas. Normally better than for the same work performed in the States.
I know the companies I've worked for did this. Of course, the vast majority of the time, the arrangement had a time frame stamped around it also.
My wife is from Italy, and became a citizen of the US alot later so she could vote. But as we are trading anecdotes, I'll share what she has to say about this....She has always stated that there is still no place equalled to the US for opportunity and the chance to improve one's standard of living. Granted she came from a rural part of Southern Italy, but it says something that her family came to the States to improve their lives and not to another European Country or even within Italy. Which does not say that the same isn't possible...I believe it is.
They came here literally not speaking a word of English. They rented a small apartment for the entire family, and he worked for an auto-body shop.
In the following years, he bought the Auto-Body shop, bought the 6 family house they first rented the apartment from (and 3 other 2 family homes), sent 3 daughters to college, sold the Auto-Body shop and is retired.
If we're going to trade those types of stories, than our immigration numbers alone would tell this story many times over.
My father owned a Cabinet Company in the Midwest, and hired a few immigrants from Korea in the late 70's when there was a large wave of folks from that country that settled in the Midwest.
Again, these people did not speak the language at the time they arrived. But during the following years the Korean employees rose up to supervisory positions...A couple even started their own businesses and 1 started his own Cabinet company.
I personally know of many more stories like that, then just the 2 you site. But you know, it's all anecdotal and doesn't prove much aside from the personal drive of these folks.
