For more than a quarter-century, I have assisted young people on their higher education journey. Around 85% have been Hispanic. It quite naturally follows that the subject of immigration is not foreign to me, quite the contrary. At times (many years back), I have written essays on the subject, often underlining the demographic changes which make increased immigration critical to economic growth in the United States.

More recently, I have kept a running compilation of immigration-related facts and thoughts, gleaned primarily from my daily in-print newspaper fix: the “New York Times” and the “Wall Street Journal.”

It was helpful to me to then create a somewhat logical, heavily edited grouping of this type of information. Note that in the material below, it would be stunning if there were not some confusing inputs, even outright contradictions – they go with any discussion of immigration.

Before moving ahead, these are a few baseline background thoughts relevant to immigration.

Did past USA policies in certain countries south of our border screw up governments, distort economies, and cause the death of innocent people? Yes. In recent years, are there similar policies which have produced similar results? None of which I am aware. Are these countries unable to foster stable governance and job-creating economies not saddled with the fear of criminal activity? Good question. Are we to assume that the resident population of these countries is permanently incapable of positive change? If so, no point continuing with this piece of writing. If not, then the assumption is that aiding these countries directly is not a forever proposition, even if it is a multiyear commitment.

In the meantime, as the saying goes, people will beg, borrow, or steal in order to get to the USA and its implicit promise of jobs, relative safety, and the freedom to call the President bad names without fearing reprisal.

Fully realizing that all immigration issues overlap with the approximate structure of spaghetti, nonetheless below I have grouped my immigration notes under these headings:

The Border: General, Asylum

Domestic: Data and Demographics

Politics/Economics: Politics, Economics, Legal

International: Canada, Other Countries

 

The Border: General

 

*At least for the moment, the number of border crossers has dropped significantly, reflecting tougher policies instituted by both Mexico (for example, people who are apprehended being transported far from the border) and the USA (five-year ban on repeated illegal crossers) plus improvements to the latter’s appointment scheduling app: CPB One (Customs and Border Protection, which is within Homeland Security; Border Patrol is part of CPB, which was created after 9/11 with an anti-terrorist mission.) Communication by lawyers to clients is said to be chaotic, despite the improvements.

 

*Near Eagle Pass, the state of Texas is creating a long floating barrier of orange buoys to discourage border crossing swimmers; it is now the subject of a lawsuit. Other Texas measures under Operation Lone Star, including the use of razor wire, have come under substantial attack; use of Texas state troopers and National Guardsmen has fueled irritation, as have reports of undue aggressiveness, including the killing of a tribal member in Arizona. Texas’ response is basically that it is attempting to bring order to a federal issue, international borders and immigration enforcement, when there is no evidence the federal government is committed to doing so. Minorities directly affected by the border situation have themselves supported Texas’ actions; some elsewhere have questioned whether the benefits are worth the cost of approximately $2.5 billion per year.

 

*Border crossing has become a business, no longer featuring random coyotes; Mexican drug cartels are heavily involved in certain areas. The cost of a coyote exceeds $10,000. A record number are dying at the border, especially in places with treacherous water.

 

*The Supreme Court has supported the Biden policy of prioritizing deportations: those deemed threats and those who crossed illegally get full attention. Those who have been in the USA for many years and done nothing wrong get a pass. The backlog of all cases is about two million. To address this with clarity and justice requires significant additional staff and money.

 

*In the year ended September 30, 2022, there were 2.3 million border encounters compared with 405,000 in pandemic 2020. About 70% of border crossers are single males. A reported 75% of unaccompanied minors are from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Haiti. Overall, 250,000 migrant children have come alone to the USA in the past two years, here to work and send money back.

 

*Entrepreneurs at the border are selling infrared rifle scopes, spyware, materials for fence sensors. Border states and individuals are becoming enforcers of their own interpretation of immigration laws. Non-profit organizations are at the border for more humane purposes. QAnon representatives are functioning at the border as well, purportedly to help kids in need.

 

*The average wait in an ICE detention center is 37 days. Detention capacity is 20,000. Pending cases are up sevenfold in the past decade (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University). There is a 150-day waiting period before eligibility to work. Both immigrant advocates and prospective employers (at present anyway) would like eligibility to happen quicker, even if it was only for a stipulated period of time, e.g. two years.

 

*The movie ”Sound of Freedom” has grossed over $150 million at the box office; filmed in 2018, it is based on the true story of an American Homeland Security Agent who investigated pedophiles. Its producer and director are Mexican, as were most of the movie’s investors.

 

The Border: Asylum

 

*The CBP One app is designed to facilitate would-be crossers signing up to get themselves in the immigration data system. There are 1,000+ appointments available daily; 40,000 monthly. The person has 23 hours to register and confirmation of the booking is within 23 hours.

 

*More than 170,000 people received appointments in the first half of 2023, 38,000 in June alone.

 

*A federal appeals court judge has given the Biden asylum process at least a temporary green light, shortly after a federal judge had nixed it.

*Asylum judges (who are located in the Justice Department) look at the asylum application and read State Department reports on their home country. Fleeing solely for economic reasons does not make a person eligible for asylum. Some 80% of new arrivals have received decisions within a year; only one-third had lawyers. Migrants have a right to a lawyer, but the government is not obligated to pay them.  There are 70 immigration courts, with an average of 10 judges each. The average time to close a case has been four years. When families cross illegally – unsure whether this is rendered irrelevant with the newer procedures — the head of household is obliged to wear an ankle monitor; the goal is a 30-day decision on whether they can stay or are to be deported.

 

*Regional processing centers have been opened in Colombia and Guatemala. Their objective is to do an initial screening of prospective asylum seekers, including referrals to relevant federal programs. The overall goal of recent changes is to cut the asylum process time to six months. Said cases are 40% of the two million immigration case backlog.

 

*Private citizens can offer logistical and financial responsibility for refugees; a “Welcome Group” must have at least five people and raise at least $2,275 per refugee. Reportedly, more than one million have signed up to be sponsors of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.

 

Domestic: Data and Demographics

 

*In 2022, there were 7.3 million visas issued for all categories of people, meaning the breadth and depth of administrative challenges is quite large.

 

*Some 900,000 immigrants became citizens in 2022, the third highest ever and the most in 15 years. About 20% of American households communicate in a second language; in order, these are the leading languages: Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic. It is projected that by 2060, there will be 110 million Spanish speakers in the USA, a number twice the entire population of Colombia.

 

*Around 10% of black individuals in the USA were born elsewhere; including children, they represent 21% of the total black population. On average, they are more educated, with higher incomes and fewer living in poverty. Racial issues are basically the same as those impacting native born blacks.

 

*One-fifth of immigrants come with less than a high school education. Half of immigrants can speak English. Asians represent 37% of recent immigrants; Hispanics, 28%. In 2001, those numbers were 22% and 53% respectively.

 

*Contrary to what might be thought, in recent years, the undocumented count in the USA has stayed flat at approximately 10 million, compared with a peak of 12 million in 2008. New Jersey is one of the six states which represent 59% of undocumented individuals; it has an estimated 475,000 undocumented individuals. Two-thirds of undocumented adults have been in the state for more than a decade. They can now obtain professional credentials, e.g. teacher or nurse.

 

*New York City is home to a half-million undocumented individuals, plus more than 50,000 new migrants (and 50,000 homeless as well). It has about 200 shelters. Immigrants are half the workforce and own half of the businesses in the city. New York has also lost 500,000 legal residents since 2020. Under a consent decree signed by the city, it is obliged to offer housing to all who request it. Reportedly, a NYC resident would have to be making $280,000 pre-tax to afford what a migrant family is receiving.

 

*During the Biden administration, one million migrants have been admitted, including 300,000 who are wearing tracking devices. Some 1.7 million have been turned away. One-quarter of nonelderly legal immigrants have no health insurance, compared with 8% of all Americans.

 

*The USA has a shortage of academic talent; it has one high scoring young person compared with two who score low. Germany has equal numbers in the two categories; Scandinavia has three times as many in the high scoring category and Japan, five times as many. About 70% of American college graduates in Electrical Engineering and Computer/Information Services are foreign nationals.

 

*Without immigration, the working-age population (25-64) will decline in this country.

 

Politics/Economics: Politics

 

*In 1986, President Reagan gave amnesty to 2.7 million undocumented individuals. The memory of this action is implanted in the minds of those who believe people crossing the border on betting on some type of amnesty program, whatever the specific terminology.

 

*President Obama deported 3.0 million people, of whom 1.7 million had no criminal record; Trump’s numbers, counterintuitively, were actually less.

 

*It’s an old number but interesting; in 2016, about 700,000 foreigners who came to the USA and came by air or sea, i.e. were logged into the system, did not leave when they were supposed to.

 

*Perhaps surprisingly, 60% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats support increasing skilled immigration.

Since 2007, family based admissions have been about 800,000 per year; employment-based admissions have been around 150,000.

 

*Work visa renewals now can be done within the USA. ICE has extended work permit expiration dates; there is a backlog here of 1.5 million. It can take a year to get an initial work permit. In 2021, a House bill was passed that would have provided a path to citizenship for one million farmworkers here illegally. The annual 85,000 H-1B visa slots are typically oversubscribed by almost 10:1.

 

*Biden extended Temporary Protected Status through work-related 18-month visas for immigrants from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Nepal. Expiration dates vary; the underlying timelines go back to natural disasters: a 1998 earthquake for the former, a 1998 hurricane for the middle two, and a 2015 earthquake for the latter. The majority of the 400,000 people here under TPS have been in the USA for twenty years.

 

*Place-based visas are part of the immigration system in Australia and Canada. Maybe the USA should consider them: in the latest census, 80% of its counties (a total of 149 million people) lost residents in the 25-47 age group.

 

*Innumerable non-profit organizations are providing pro bono legal help and other assistance to migrants who have been transported to cities far away from the border. It is a thankless task driven by humane considerations; there is neither cohesion of service delivery nor any clarity of future planning.

 

*There are about 700,000 DACA recipients. An estimated 200,000 are teachers and frontliners. The DACA program began in 2012, under an executive order. The Supreme Court decision against DACA was on technical grounds; renewals are happening.

 

*There has been bipartisan support (and close votes in Congress) for a path to legalization for DACA recipients (example: Under the Dream and Promise Act, dreamers could remain for at least 10 years and become permanent residents if they did two years in college or the military or held a steady job), yet nothing happens as the issue is used as an overall immigration bargaining chip by both sides of the aisle. Note that work authorization for the parents of DACA recipients would be an important plus.

 

Political/Economic: Economics

 

*The USA reportedly has 9.6 million job openings, a number far greater than those seeking work; acceleration of temporary work visas would make sense. An estimated 75% of undocumented individuals in the USA are employed, the total number equating to 5% of all those working. (Immigrants represent 25% of the 4.3 million direct care workers in the USA.)

 

*Florida law SB 1718 invalidates out-of-state driver’s licenses given to illegal immigrants, requires hospitals to quantify uncompensated healthcare, and mandates employers with at least 25 employees to use E-Verify to confirm the legal status of hires. There are an estimated 770,000 undocumented immigrants in his state, many of whom work for entrepreneurial businesses: construction, hospitality, agriculture. Reportedly half of its crop farm workers lack status. The question is whether Florida’s on-going economic growth pattern will be stalled. There is initial evidence that this is the case; when an undocumented individual has the capability to choose where to work or live, Florida loses.

 

*While H-1B visas for skilled workers and H-2B visas for unskilled workers are capped, there is no cap on H-2A guest workers. The employer must attest he cannot find local workers for the job. In 2022, there were 300,000 H-2A visas issued, quadruple the rate a decade earlier.

 

*Cross border trade between the USA and Mexico is $1.8 billion per day; 1000 trucks/day cross at Brownsville, Texas; 200,000 cars and trucks daily cross the whole border.

 

*There is a $1 billion pledge by private companies (Nestle, Target et al) to support communities in Central America by assisting farmers, creating textile jobs, and investing in telecom.

 

*The EB-5 green card investment requirement for projects in designated job creation areas has been lifted to $900,000 from $500,000. Elsewhere, the requirement is $1.8 million, up from $1 million.

 

*According to FWD.us, TPS holders contribute $22 billion annually to the US economy.

 

Political/Economic: Legal

 

*California is arguing that the hiring of undocumented individuals, while federally prohibited, is not illegal at the state level.

 

*Noncitizens who entered unlawfully cannot obtain permanent residency even if they have stayed under Temporary Protected Status.

 

*Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) taps a CLEAR data base from utility companies, compiled by Thomson Reuters and Equifax. This is probably not legal in the view of many immigrant advocates.

 

*ICE cannot make arrests in schools, hospitals, churches, daycare centers, or foster care facilities.

 

*A growing number of states have extended driving license privileges to undocumented individuals.

 

*Foreign students who overstay their visas by more than 180 days are barred from re-entry for three years. If unlawfully present for over a year, they are barred for ten years.

 

International: Canada

 

*Canada had been admitting 250,000 immigrants annually on a population base of 32 million, twice the proportion of the USA, Sweden, or Germany. Over half have college degrees. Only 6% of its foreign-born population is undocumented, compared with 30% in USA.

 

*Now, Canada is stepping up its immigration/permanent resident goals, to 1.45 million over a three-year period. In 2022, it took in 437,000 immigrants. Like the USA, Canada has an aging native born population and a large number of vacant jobs.

 

*Canada is openly going after American H-1B visa holders as it seeks to take advantage of layoffs in the tech industry.

 

*Eligibility for immigrants favors higher education and skilled work resumes. Its point system leads to a foreign-born population that is the best educated within the OECD. If accepted to the country, an immigrant is automatically on the path to citizenship.

 

*Seasonal workers (some with specific employer restrictions) who come for eight-month jobs often do so annually for 10-15 years.

 

*There are an increased number of border crossers into Canada, especially on the northern border of the USA. Asylum seekers in Canada can apply for work permits.

 

*Canada is not completely welcoming. It now bars foreigners for two years from buying residential properties in certain cities.

 

International: Other countries

 

*Latin America represents 8% of the world’s population and 1/3 of its homicides.

 

*In Honduras and El Salvador, remittances from those in the USA represent 20% of GDP. In Honduras,

2/3 of its nine million people are considered poor; 25% of families receive remittances. Total remittances from the USA to all countries are $80 billion, one-third of which go to those living in Mexico.

 

*Venezuela is hemorrhaging people, over seven million in total. Colombia has received 2.5 million and the USA, 95,000 (150,000 have been stopped).  Some 400,000 migrants (compared with an average of 10,000 per year in 2010-2020) have traversed the 70-mile Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama, 2,800 miles from the USA.  Indigenous populations in that area now experience contaminated water, garbage everywhere, and not infrequently, dead bodies.

 

*Special programs (up to 30,000 people per month) for Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua allow an immigrant to come to the USA on a two-year work permit if they have a private sponsor. The program has reduced illegal crossings from the latter two, but has had little impact on the former.  About one-third of households in Venezuela relay on remittances to survive.

 

*Developed countries are bidding for foreign workers; the world would be richer if poor people migrated to the former locations. At the same time, different developed nations are implementing tough anti-migrant measures. Political pressure is on mainstream parties from the growing influence of those to their right. Part of the political perception is a widespread fear that the type of immigrant coming to, e.g., a country in Europe, is not the skilled, at least semi-educated profile that is desired. Businesses may like lower wage entrants but the populace in general does not, and neither regards current policies as being structural resolutions.

 

*Germany is shortening the time needed for immigrants to get credentials as its 84 million population base is aging and not growing.

 

*In 2022, five million more people moved from less affluent to more affluent countries than vice-versa. This is 80% more than the pre-pandemic level. The United Kingdom’s net gain was 600,000, a record.

 

*The European Union has sent considerable funds to Tunisia, the purpose being to assist that country in handling immigrants from and passing through Tunisia.

 

Closing Comment

 

The USA is the only country in the world destined to be comprised of multiple minorities. Kudos!

 

At the same time, net immigration is providing all the population growth in the USA. Thus, agreement on immigrant policies is mandatory to (a) avoid a continuation of the current chaos at the border and in the system overall and to (b) establish something resembling stability in the specific approaches being implemented by the multiple government agencies involved with immigration.

 

Bringing DACA recipients into the fold would be a good step one. Providing temporary work visas for as many entrants as feasible would be a helpful step two. Adding resources to the asylum judge system is a necessary step three.   

 

Politically, there must be a two-party explicit recognition that a defensible border Is a necessary component of any immigration policy package. Both must sign off as well on a legitimate border being meaningless without other measures to make the immigrant a welcome addition to this country.

 

 

For a quarter-century, I have been baffled by the quixotic communication pattern of people in all walks of life, representatives of every income and ethnic and religious category. What is with them, not having the time or courtesy for a simple e-mail requiring at most sixty seconds to answer a question? And what is there to make of a student who is simultaneously requesting grant support and not responding expeditiously to a request from the checkwriter?

Split families, sexual identity questions, mental and physical health problems, job frustrations, romantic entanglements, fatigue from working two jobs, documentation issues, irritating professors, dishonest friends, pressure from being an only  child, pressure from being the younger sibling of a successful older brother or sister who are perpetually put forth as role models, transitional difficulties in going from a small town to urban America, cultural adjustments of all kinds, a realization that everything prior to a first real career job is in some sense encapsulated in a bubble – I get it, lots going on — but no time for providing a minute’s worth of information that completes the decision-making loop?!

It is not as if the desire for communication is rooted in a quest for a specific positive outcome; it is simply a desire to know, “what is happening, what is going on with respect to what you indicated about your path (which included financial support, either in fact or projected from the fellow, me, who needs the communication).  Note that whenever a young person has asked what I expect from them, my answer has always been, “be the best you can be for yourself.”

Disingenuous communication is definitely not a goal, nor is a collection of words which drain the energy of the recipient, annoyed that the information feedback loop remains frustratingly incomplete.

Non-communication situations come in multiple varieties, but what do I make of Kalvin, seemingly (hopefully) a true outlier.

It seemed to be going okay from the initial interaction through the first three years of college, then radio silence. No response to any type of communication short of carrier pigeons. A policeman friend did a wellness check. Yes, Kalvin was alive.

Not long thereafter, we re-connected. In short order, we had set up a time for a one-hour phone call every other Tuesday.  All good, or so it seemed for several months through graduation.

And then, without a hint of negativity about our conversations, nor with a heads-up regarding a need for substantive change, radio silence returned.

This time, my attempts at finding out the “why” behind Kalvin’s action were supplemented with indirection. Besides every conventional attempt to connect, I mailed books (ones I had read and believed would be of interest to Kalvin) to his home and I even placed a book in his mailbox. When I saw on LinkedIn that he had landed a position with a non-profit agency in New York City, I commented that it was great to see he had found meaningful work, his longstanding goal.

 I know people are videos, not snapshots, but I had interacted with Kalvin for five years. What happened?

 Yes, juggling all the oranges of life (or are they more like bowling balls on occasion) is a challenge for any young person. But wait, that is true regardless of age. Help!

 (Explanatory suggestions/guesses as to what might have happened are hereby solicited.)

 

 

Having fun at a dental office: meet Dr. Zoltek and her exemplary staff

Whoa – do not misinterpret – this is not fun derived from mindless run-throughs of Tik-Tok clips or Instagram inanities. To the contrary, this is extremely high quality dentistry delivered in an atmosphere of camaraderie that in my experience is unique in a dental practice.

An émigré from Poland, Dr. Z graduated first in her class at UMDNJ. She is a solo practitioner  — if that is stereotypically construed as a high and mighty dentist barking out orders to assistants and dental hygienists, you again would be totally wrong. I have never seen such pleasant and productive interaction among staff and patients – there are more pleases and thank yous and smiles here than anywhere seen elsewhere in a normal day’s interaction in our unhappy society.

At the desk, Sheila greets you by name and you feel like you have entered into a positive environment; there is no portal, nothing technological to get in the way of you and the human providers of the service.

Rachel or Victoria takes you to the room where it will all happen, chats pleasantly (nothing forced), interestingly and intelligently with you and gets your ready for whatever procedure Dr. Z. is to perform.

Dr. Z. enters the operatory, hair sometimes askew — representing freedom in my view. Perhaps her agreement with my characterization reflected the fact that it took her ten years and an untold amount of paperwork to become a citizen. She is smiling and ready to go on a process, e.g. a filling or a crown or whatever is needed, any of which will involve multiple instruments and much back-and-forth with her highly capable assistant.

(OK, I admit it –there is part of your brain that does not let you forget that you are about to experience a bit of discomfort, more than a bit if you allow yourself to think excessively about that drill entering your stretched out mouth.)

Dr. Z. believes that the mouth is the gateway to multiple diseases. Before having surgery of any kind, she strongly recommends seeing Debbie, the office’s excellent dental hygienist, for a cleaning.

While your mouth is stretched open, you may hear Dr. Z. express her disdain for much of the medical establishment. If you agree, a thumbs up is in order and vice versa; your ability to be articulate nuance is rather hampered by everything that is going on in your mouth.  The same messaging system is used to answer the question of whether pain is being inflicted, any pain from the procedure that is, not the agony which is relevant to any analysis of our screwed-up healthcare system.

As Dr. Z. examines her handiwork, at times it brings forth the image of a sculptor (and not an inexpensive one). You often hear her exclaim, “that’s beautiful” or “perfect.” For sure there is ego involved in such admiration, but her appraisal is not done in an egotistical manner.

On my most recent visit, a person departing the office said to Dr. Z., “I will follow you to the end of the earth.” Presumably he was not a stalker but a highly satisfied patient. Not a bad recommendation, easy to put in a radio spot, on a billboard, or bumper sticker or website.  Well-deserved for sure!

Please note: this write-up was done by a human; there is nothing artificial about the intelligence expressed!

 

 

 

This is an essay about what you cannot buy at a store or anyplace else. Faith Hurtado (14) and Bob Howitt (considerably older) wrote alternating sentences about the capitalized words.

 RESPECT can’t be bought but is earned and not always deserved.

Nobody can buy PASSION because it is something that is within a person.

ANIMALS, although they are adorable, most are meant to be free running in the sun. Happy in the wild.

People may define individual EQUALITY differently. All agree it is impossible to purchase at a store

HUMANS can’t buy humans. They aren’t tools, toys, or objects. Especially not in a store. That’s cruel.

The DEAD cannot be purchased or disturbed except if they have designated organs to be donated.

LOVE can’t be bought. Sometimes, we have to accept it. Sometimes we lack it. Sometimes we lose it. Sometimes we demand it. Can’t be bought.

MONEY can be bought but first you need money that you earned and did not buy.

STABLE MENTAL HEALTH, though at this point, it seems no one has it. You can’t buy it.

HAPPINESS is defined by each individual for themselves. It cannot be bought, even though people sometimes think so.

OPINIONS can’t be bought. Especially because they come in all varieties. Some that should not be respected, some that could change the world.

CURIOSITY is a great characteristic, of limitless value and not available for purchase on Amazon or at the mall.

JUSTICE is something you fight for. Unfortunately we can’t buy it because there’s too much we need to fight for.

VALUES like honesty or thoughtfulness or reliability come without a price tag. No store can sell them to you.

 

 

 

 

“Let’s have lunch at Brewpub.”

When a woman who loves you makes a restaurant suggestion, you oblige without hesitation. It does not matter whether you have driven three miles or three hundred to reconnect after a lengthy period of being out of touch.

So we got in my car and drove the five minutes to the Brewpub. I’m not sure which was a stronger prop for her, my arm or the serious walking stick that had become her companion. We each had a beer (of the root variety); she had a Vermont Panini and I had a Cobb salad.

Our conversation was wide-ranging, beginning with a rundown on what family members were doing and continuing to a variety of issues, each lightly touched upon. The comments noted below, not individually ascribed, are representative of our topical interaction. If students of all ages had similar curiosity and interest in the other person in a conversation, it would be a step forward.

*The Supreme Court should have limited terms for the justices, maybe 20 years. Clarence Thomas is the most despicable man around, and his wife is worse. This animosity stems from the Anita Hill testimony.

*To succeed on Wall Street, one must work hard, read a lot, be curious, have a bit of luck, and regard the job as fun.

*Regarding immigration, people living on the border have a different perspective than those elsewhere in their comfortable surroundings.

*Biden is okay, especially considering his opponent. It is sad that neither party has identified a strong alternative candidate.

*Books being read included “War Diary,” “Paved Paradise,” “Lessons in Chemistry” and many others courtesy of Alexa.

*Tennis, her favorite sport of prior years, is on display at Wimbledon, a wonderful tournament.

Our extended conversation culminated with truly personal memories as she referred to her late husband (he passed in 2015; an exemplary teacher, his name was on a school scholarship for deserving students) and the many enjoyable trips they had taken together. She reminded me of my “walkabout” in my prior marriage and I remarked how fortunate it was that my ex-wife and I are friends.

It is July 17; 2023. HAPPY 97^TH BIRTHDAY, AUNT MURIEL!!! LOVE, BOB

 

Portals and Moral Injury

It was inevitable.

When my local physical therapy company was sold to MegaTherapy, Inc., the first order of business was a requirement that I fill out a patient portal. So now I will vent.

Could somebody demonstrate how the corporatization of healthcare, here represented by information portals, has contributed to patients being healthier? The incessant drive for efficiency, as measured by units of service, adjusted for value as determined by MegaInsurance, Inc., has depersonalized the relationship of healthcare provider to patient.

My primary doctor is in a small practice.  Any errors regarding the portal are of no consequence to either her or her office as administrative and financial functions have long since been outsourced – for efficiency of course. It took me a year and a direct conversation with a corporate computer geek to get information deleted which indicated I was seeing a pediatrician!

Speaking of my primary, I am unsure: can her input on my meds be overruled by MegaPharmacy? When I go to pick up my drugs, can MegaPharmacy both inform me that the manufacturer of X is shutting down the product line and render an opinion that Y is basically the same drug – without any discussion with the doctor?

Patient portals plus outsourcing of everything possible combine to sever the desired holistic relationship  among the healthcare provider, their office, and the client/patient. Instead of being concerned about the effectiveness of healthcare, the system is fixated on efficiency, the latter a term highly correlated with immediate bottom line enhancement. If you go through all the layers of healthcare, an observer might conclude that It is beneficial to the “medical-industrial” complex for people to remain sick.

**

I am always challenged to convince my perpetually skeptical daughters that the old man actually is not alone in his critique of healthcare, even if portals are not exactly the focus of any debate.

Consider the following points and ask yourself: do they make you more or less comfortable as a patient?

From a lengthy article in the New York Times Magazine of June 18, 2023:

• 70% of doctors are salaried employees of large hospital systems or corporations
• 30% of the staff in emergency rooms are employees of private equity firms
• Emphasis on speed, efficiency, and relative value units (RVU) encourages more tests and procedures while discouraging listening and talking time with the patient.

“Doctors must operate with a clear sense that they are serving the patients in front of them, not the government, data-collection systems, insurance companies, or hospital directors.” The overall result when they cannot do so is called “moral injury” (a term coined by psychiatrist Jonathan Shay), afflicting healthcare personnel who are unable to provide what they believe is medically appropriate service.

To be fair, there were two positives cited in the article: modest growth in the number of doctors who are providing direct service and a lawsuit in California against a private equity provider of healthcare, which seemed to be in direct violation of a state statute.

**

More ammunition for those who wonder about healthcare delivery comes from a Wall Street Journal article of December 30, 2021: “The Doctor’s Office becomes an Assembly Line.”

According to the author, Devorah Goldman, in 2018, 46% of doctors owned their practices, down from 75% in 1983. For the first time, less than half of doctors work in private practice.  Kathleen Blake, AMA vice-president of healthcare quality was quoted as saying that “hospital acquisitions of private practices doubled from 2012 to 2018, the result being modestly worse patient experiences and no significant changes in readmission or mortality rates.”

**

Healthcare ownership trends are particularly untimely because demographic change will bring more minorities into the ranks of doctors and physician assistants in particular. Minority patients will seek them out and want to interact longer than the standard insurance time allotments. Research on socioeconomic determinants of illness adds to the logic of medical personnel needing more time with patients, not less.

**

As one critic put it, “doctors no longer see patients, they see pathologies.”

In time, perhaps there will be an informational implant on our arm and a bar code on our behinds — they will provide patient information to the anonymous medical staffer who will then click on the correct box under robotic procedures –simultaneously sending the billing code to MegaInsurance. Before you get to your car, your portal will have pinged you with the cost of the procedure. Payment due in thirty days.

Very efficient!

**

Did I mention that my password at MegaTherapy is “Iloatheportals.”

**

Yes, I am ignoring the impact of AI/ChatGPT. Maybe on another day, I will tackle the complexities it brings to healthcare. Or not.

**

Not to be negative, but according to the World Health Organization, the United States is less safe than Russia in terms of its maternal-mortality death rate: 21.1 per 100,000 live births versus 13.7 in Russia.

 

serious, trivial, comical, sarcastic … and in no order whatsoever!       

*President Biden can shrug off kids being slaughtered, saying “I can’t do anything about it.” Meantime he is attempting to cancel student debt by using his executive authority.

*Is it fair that snow should be white, completely absent of diversity?

*Will the United States Constitution be declared null and void, given the profiles of its writers?

*Why should a King beat a Queen in cards?

*No replays of controversial decisions in any sport should last more than two minutes. If no change is agreed upon within 120-seconds, the original decision stands.

*If Trump goes to jail for paying a porn star, will Hunter Biden be his roommate for his legal infractions.

*NILs bring honesty to the corrupt business of college athletics.

*Baseball rule changes have made it almost impossible to read a novel between pitches.

*Advertising is now sometimes seen between foul shots in basketball, serves in tennis, and VAR decisions in futbol … and everywhere else.

*Gambling is omnipresent; what are the odds that I will finish this bit of inspiration and post it.

*Ya gotta love it. The “New York Times Sunday Magazine” brings tears to your eyes with its article on yet another social ill, with the extended essay interrupted by ads for multimillion dollar condos.

*Why is an athlete incurring a debilitating injury treated as a hero while a company employing hundreds of people is frequently regarded as an exploiter of people and the environment … and a tax cheat.

*If referring to a person with excess poundage as being f… is no longer permissible, can we mention rates of diabetes or heart disease.

*Many years back, I proposed a series of rules for soccer in order to increase its appeal to points happy, immediate gratification Americans. Suffice it to say, nothing happened. And yet the American soccer league, MLS, has grown in popularity, not because of open immigration but because millennials have adopted it as a nice social experience, more wine than beer in nature. Fearing that this current love affair may not age well, I hereby propose changes exclusively geared to points. (Please don’t throw things – even Pique wants some alterations in his lifelong sport.)

Run-of-play goals:   2 points; 3 points if the shot is taken from beyond the 18-yard box. Like the NBA. Penalty kicks: 1 point. More than half the time, penalties do not reflect clear-cut referee/VAR decisions.

*The Premier League, among others, has a system called “Relegation.” It basically says to a bunch of poor teams, get away from us, become better, and maybe you will have a chance next year to play at our level. Typically, the managers, aka coaches, are fired. Wouldn’t this be a good system for all major sports, both the relegation and the automatic firing. Think of the reduction in sports talk radio nonsense as the talking heads no longer would need to speculate about both the team and the manager.

*How does it happen: Democrats, supposedly home to all minorities, continue to receive large funding from teachers unions which act against the educational interests of minority children.

*Is hypocrisy better than no values at all!

*I forget, what is the latest scientific finding – is coffee now okay and wine not, are both okay if accompanied by incredibly dark chocolate?

http://bobhowittbooks.com/?page_id=22

This is a compilation of my monthly Birthday Cards in 2022. The various boxed designs have been deleted and the verbiage has all been made flush left for consistency. Differences in fonts remain.

Each was originally signed, “Peace, Bob.”

JANUARY:

Other than Three Kings Day, what jumps out about this opening month of the year?

Maybe I should be personal: my granddaughter  becomes a teenager. Nice, and a touch scary.

Of course, she is not the only great person

who has a birthday in January!

In the cold weather climate where many of us reside, there is inevitably the challenge of ignoring the temperature and the white stuff, and instead, to regard it as “invigorating.”

The presence of Omicron is a downer, bringing with it renewed demands on all frontliners, which include not only those in health and education, but workers in less public but totally necessary jobs like food service.

Declare victory in whatever circumstance

 is relevant to you and celebrate!

FEBRUARY:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!   Leaving out of any conversation

the subjects of cold weather, snow, difficult driving conditions,

and aching muscles from shoveling,

February is the month of LOVE.

LOVE is of such profound importance

in making sense out of life

that the word should be used often with

family, friends, and romantic partners — regardless of their labels or circumstances, their triumphs or failures.

LOVE is there

before, during, and after Valentine’s Day

and before, during, and after this,

your very special day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

MARCH:

“Spring has sprung, the grass has ris’

I wonder where the birdies is!”

Ignore the grammar errors – it’s

the thought that counts. Besides,

I hear that many professors

no longer care about whether

a person can write; it is enough

that the student “gets” the material.

Anyway, hopefully this particular Spring is not a masked invader

and enemy of our

deep desire for normalcy.

The undeniable good news is

that March has brought you

a BIRTHDAY, so make it a HAPPY one.

APRIL:

President Biden has made it clear:

“somebody should take out that a..hole Putin.”

Former President Trump recently tweeted:

“I am sorry I said all those awful things about so many people. It will never happen again.”

Upon reflection, Pope Francis has acknowledged that one cannot be neutral about murder.

He now condemns whatshisname.

After being scolded for his many misstatements, President Biden has announced he will step down. Vice-President Harris, who has been clamoring for this action, will take the reins.

OK, all of the above was written on April Fool’s Day.

What is real is that today is

your Birthday – make it a joyous occasion.

MAY:

May is a cornucopia of sports: the NBA and NHL play-offs, the Kentucky Derby, major league baseball, and the NFL draft.

Which leads to a trivia question aimed at professional sports geeks: when was the last time that simultaneously the football selections of both Giants and the Jets were well received and both Yankees and Mets were playing really well. Maybe never.

If you could care less about sports, you have to like May’s weather, plus Mother’s Day,

Cinco de Mayo, and Memorial Day.

It’s not a bad month to have a birthday,

so ———- make it a HAPPY OCCASION!

JUNE:
PRAY FOR GUN LEGISLATION

June is upon us.

Time to go to the beach,

play some volleyball,

read a trashy novel,

ignore social media,

have a legal beverage,

and maybe contemplate

the meaning of life.

Happy Birthday!

PRAY FOR GUN LEGISLATION

JULY:

Celebrating July 4^th and the

beginning of Summer

seems a muted enjoyment:

inflation, looming recession, war in Ukraine, and, worst of all,

the continued slaughter

of our children.

Sorry to be a downer, but a visit to Uvalde or Buffalo or …..

will do that to a person.

For this day though,

immerse yourself

in the joy of being alive.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

AUGUST:

August is a month with little personality.

It’s devoid of holidays. Some view it as a time to bemoan the prospective

end of Summer.

In hot weather states, the school year begins mid-August. People there do not experience a real change of seasons.

Advantage: New Jersey!

In any case, there is no reason to waste time lamenting the blandness of August.

Go to the beach, play some volleyball, swim safely, read a book, barbecue something delicious, and have a legal beverage or two.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

SEPTEMBER:

STOP THE PRESSES: A WHOLE LOT OF STUDENT DEBT IS SCHEDULED TO BE CANCELLED !

Moving right along –in contrast to August,

a normal September is a busy month:

*colleges back in business,

overcharging for their product

*football returning,

bringing future head problems

*the baseball season heating up,

while the air cools down

*Labor Day poorly observed,

but interest in unions is rising

*Pop-up stores already pushing

Halloween stuff, irritating parents

Regardless of your participation in any

or all of the above, take significant time

to celebrate: especially if your debt will disappear.

It’s your BIRTHDAY!!!   

OCTOBER:

If you fly to New Jersey from the West Coast in the middle of that particular October night when the clocks get turned back an hour, the West-East clock gain is offset for an hour by the Daylight Saving Time shift.

Does this mean that effectively time did not exist for those vanished 60 minutes? I’m confused.

If time can be changed by passing a law, couldn’t states become innovative. Maine could make a big enough time change to delay the onset of winter. California could shift its clock enough to reduce the period of warm weather, thus reducing its attraction to the homeless population. Texas could change its clock on election day to prevent unwanted voters from getting to the voting booth.

The possibilities are endless. Is time nothing but an accountant’s way of looking at reality!

Other societies treat time quite differently.

For example, the French reportedly consume the same number of calories as Americans, but they do not have our obesity problem – the apparent reason is that they eat in a leisurely fashion, not rushed as is our norm.

There is one timeframe which is unalterable – it is that of  your special day: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

NOVEMBER: 

November seemingly is centered around Thanksgiving, even though it comes late in the month. By the time the date rolls around, the trees have shed their colorful leaves, perhaps embarrassed that they have been such show-offs.

I think about Turkey Day a lot, always putting in my request to have

creamed onions, which nobody else will miss

when they are not on the dining room table … again.

Was it a group of border crossers who started this ritual all those years back?

What progress we have made – maybe. Sad that often families come together at Thanksgiving more out of a feeling of obligation than love. There frequently is an unspoken agreement that politics are not to be discussed, a resolution which is broken sometime between the drumstick and the third glass of wine.

Speaking of implicit obligations, all red-blooded males in America

are expected to dull their senses not just with alcohol

 but with endless hours of football watching.

With shopping only hours away from the annual mayhem at Walmart,

women with sharp elbows and steely determination

are plotting their Black Friday strategy.

Grandma is ostensibly the ringleader of this whole affair.

When she mishears “pass the peas” as “pass the peace,” she immediately

hugs her nearest mortified grandson while others wonder what is going on.

When it is time for the fun and games, overeating, and excessive drinking

to cease, everybody is on their best behavior,

silently congratulating themselves at not having attacked those

who believe they have all the answers to the ills of the country.

Regardless of the details, have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

DECEMBER:

A friend has accused me of frequently

putting “dark thoughts” in these cards. Apparently she dislikes sarcasm

or a spotlight being shown on hypocrisy.

So I will set the record straight.

I think this is a great time of year –

and if I was a Chinese exporter,

I would like it even more.

It’s equally awesome that we get to demonstrate our belief in a higher power,

the God of Consumerism.

Seriously, I am fond of December,

the Holidays, the camaraderie.

Honest …. Really …. Absolutely

HAVE A HAPPY BIRTHDAY –

Different College Majors and Alternative Approaches to Careers

Synopsis

The implications of on-going dramatic demographic change are relevant to the leader of any organization. They impact everything from the hiring level to the executive suite, from the customer prospect to the supplier interface. Diversity becomes a practical and economic necessity, probably even more of a driver of change than philosophical commitment.

Diversity is only part of the diversity-equity-inclusion (DEI) movement; this essay does have selected references to DEI, but the focus here is on diversity — as seen through the lens of an author who has been primarily involved with Hispanic individuals and their education/career paths.

Following the touch points delineated below, there are background data and descriptive comments on demographics, education, and socioeconomics. The intent of the essay is to then make observations on how the desire for diversity and the practical challenges of the real world are intertwined when it comes to understanding the dynamics of different college majors and alternative approaches to a career. Sometimes the diversity focus in the material is clear; other times, admittedly it is less readily apparent.

Collaborating Editors

Bob Howitt is the primary author. For many years, he was the Executive-Director of the WKBJ Foundation. It provided college assistance to young people, the vast majority of whom were Hispanic.

Alumni of WKBJ now live all across the country, with one outside the USA. A quite large number of stories could be told, including marriages, divorces, mortgages, children, geographic shift, changes in career paths, elation, disappointment, love – the entire human condition.

None of these individuals brought a network of childhood, family, and college contacts to their situations. Moreover, an upbringing which emphasized educational aspiration was not always in their birth households. Discretionary income was not typically present. Now, many have achieved a level of success which has meant transformational income for themselves and their families.

The author received editorial assistance from Juan Cadavid, Ismael Iraola, Carolina Poveda McCurdy,

Raul Pinto (particularly with respect to the synopsis), and Daniela Velasquez.  Americans all, their ethnicities, birthplaces and prior residences are a mixture of Bolivian, Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Chilean.

Thoughts contributed by editors come from their daily experiences, observations of colleagues, conversations with friends, and interaction with family members.

Touch Points whose importance is woven into the balance of the essay

• Major demographic change is inevitable. In terms of ethnicity at birth, the USA already is a nation of multiple minorities. It is estimated that by 2045, there will be no ethnic majority in the USA.

• Public education from kindergarten through high school varies from poor to merely okay for probably 90% of minority students, who thus enter higher education inadequately prepared.

• Both profit-seeking corporations and non-profit institutions have made well-publicized commitments to increase the diversity of their staffs. Surveys, checklists, and requests for data have flooded the in-and-out boxes of those responsible for leading the diversity push. Often those individuals are occupants of newly created positions, e.g., the Vice-President for DEI. A high majority of those occupying these new corporate slots are African Americans.

Hispanics are seemingly largely absent from this particular definition of diversity. The country’s deep-seated guilt over the non-erasable stain of slavery and the heritage of racism is not matched by widespread angst over how parts of Mexico came to be owned by the United States or its many harmful escapades in Central and South America.

• While Hispanics and African Americans do periodically come together as advocates for particular  policy changes, it does not take long for historical divisions to re-assert themselves. The same is true for differences within the broadly-defined Hispanic community. Most of the time, Asians are not in this conversation, surfacing only when there is an egregious hate crime or a lawsuit against organizations which have put a seemingly illegal cap on how many Asians they will accept. The societal attitude in general seems to be that they can take care of themselves – they have the education and income levels of white Americans and the entrepreneurial skills of Hispanics.

• There is no attempt herein to isolate changes that correlate with the pandemic: deterioration in mental health and a sharp drop in academic results. However, there is one important exception: the pandemic has caused more people, from parents to educators, to seriously question the mantra of “college for all.” As a consequence, there is more attention being paid to alternative education paths after high school graduation.

Demographic Data

The unfolding demographic story of the United States is becoming better known — and yet its implications   are not being adequately built into the fabric of everyday thinking, especially that which involves organizational decision-making. Nor has there been a good thought piece which begins with demographics and then folds in both the societal drive for diversity and the practicalities of different career paths for aspiring Hispanic students.

The demographic case for the inevitability of greater diversity includes these data points:

• First, as a baseline, this is the approximate composition of the American population: White, 60% (down from 64% in 2010); Hispanic, 19% (up from 16%); African American, 13% (up from 12%), Asian, 6% (up from 5%), and Other, 2% (down from 3%). The most common ages (as of last data set found) are 58 for whites, 29 for Asians, 27 for African Americans, and 11 for Hispanics.  The median age of Hispanics is 30, compared with 39 for the entire population.

• All population growth for children in the past 20 years has been minority or multiracial (Brookings Institution: William Frey, a demographic expert who coined the term: “cultural generation gap.”)

Minorities are over half of K-12 public school enrollment, compared with 35% in 1995.

• By 2034, there will be more people at retirement age than there will be children, an unprecedented comparison. Legal Immigration will have become the number one driver of population growth. Note that immigration per se is not analyzed in this essay. Nonetheless, several observations are in order: (1) the current system is a complete mess, (2) the country needs more people if it is to grow at the rate desired by most politicians, (3) people crossing the border do so in pursuit of jobs, first; safety, second; and freedom of speech, third. Aspirations involving education and careers come later.

• Growth in the Hispanic population in the last decade represented, net, the country’s entire population change. The former is not growing because of a higher fertility rate. It is approximately the overall replacement level of 2.1, true as well for whites, Asians, and African Americans. Hispanic population is growing because there are more Hispanic women in what is considered child-bearing age.

• The bottom line: if by 2045, the USA is a nation of multiple minorities, think of what that means in terms of — everything: politics, school curricula, social services, hiring protocols, training requirements, career progression, economic mobility. Diversity, equity, and inclusion goals will be coupled with sheer math, leaving aside variations within racial, ethnic, and gender definitions.

Education Comments

The essay ignores the dynamics of the Ivy League. For the majority of students there, a sense of entitlement comes with their birth certificate. Moreover, they almost always receive incremental, non-institutional education by osmosis: dinner table conversations, social outings with accomplished people, trips, and cultural exposure – networking without anybody using the word. Ironically, the Ivy League schools offer some of the most attractive financial aid packages for minority students. Alas, they cannot offer equally attractive cultural environments.

Relatedly, there is no attempt here to tackle affirmative action. While the common interpretation is that this issue pertains exclusively to racial identity, could a broader view include legacy admissions – which skew toward wealth, and different standards for athletes of all racial identities?

Education, although full of data points, is simultaneously qualitative, in part because it is highly political. Without analyzing all the moving parts, it is fair to say that there exist constraints on the opportunity for minorities to receive the level of education which can move the needle on economic mobility.

Many of the bullet points below by their nature cannot be Hispanic specific; nonetheless they are highly relevant as descriptors of the educational scene of which Hispanics are participants.

• It is so completely obvious that a good K-12 education is a necessary pre-condition to further education that it is stunning how persistent is the inability of education reformers to fully address the failings of urban schools. Equally troubling, and connected to the issue of the political will to push for substantive change, is that the act of enabling parents to choose the type of school which best suits the needs of their children is an explosive political issue, often pitting teachers’ unions against parents.  School choice continues to be primarily a function of money, not equity.

• It is apparent, and profoundly irritating, that the same corporations which are required in the court of public discourse to have an opinion about a range of social issues/policies are not obliged to be active regarding urban K-12 education. They are willing to fund think tanks and some education innovations like charter schools, but they are not willing to truly make an issue of the inadequate education received by the typical urban minority student.
  
  

At the community college level, these same semi-passive companies may be successful in getting the school to configure courses which provide job preparation that otherwise would be a company expense. Their involvement is similar in some of the newer non-profit education entities serving those high school graduates whose subsequent low wage jobs do not prove satisfactory.

Are corporations willing to directly put up the large amounts necessary to train substantial numbers for occupations which are attractive to minority candidates, the sector which represents the demographic wave of the future?  Diversity, demographics, and dollars are all in the mix, as is the multi-decade trend of many career paths demanding higher credentials, in part a tacit recognition of inadequate institutional education.

• If K-12 education is to remain subpar, then colleges (or their alternative career route counterparts, but that is a different set of economics) are implicitly asked to pick up the slack. If they do not do so, instead providing highly remunerative (to them) social promotion to their paying student customers, then the bill gets kicked to corporate America. If nobody wants to foot the education/training bill at that level, there is only one conclusion: the allegations of hypocrisy and racism as the American norm are writ true in large capital letters.

• Some African American students, cognizant of the HBCU (historically black college or university) record of producing a disproportionate share of the nation’s African American professionals in the medical engineering, and science disciplines are choosing to attend Howard or Spellman, inter alia, instead of the Ivy League school to which they were accepted.  The pandemic and the murder of George Floyd are important factors in this decision.  “Why should I find out who I really am at a PWI (predominantly white institution) school, better to do so at a place where most look like me” is a fair representation of the thought process.

There is no analogy in the Hispanic world, neither a galvanizing event (photos of border crossers do not remotely register in the same way) nor are HSI (Hispanic-serving institution, meaning at least 25% of the students are Hispanic) colleges seemingly publicized as go-to places for Hispanic students. The exceptions to this statement could be HSI schools in Florida, Texas, and California.

• Common sense would seem to suggest “yes” to the question of whether having two parents/caretakers is an advantage when it comes to their children attaining a good education.  Raising children is demanding, draining, expensive work. To be able to share the responsibilities provides a better chance for productive, vocabulary enhancing communication than exists in many single parent households, where the paying job is often completely exhausting, reducing the conversational interplay at home. (Raising this family formation issue in mixed company can be dangerous to one’s health; there is a high level of heat generated in the “conversation.”)

Note: The Census Bureau reports that 25% of children are raised in a household lacking a father.

The snapshot is that 66% of young people (<35 years of age) whose parents have at least a Bachelor’s degree get at least the same degree; in contrast, only 22% of young people whose parents have no more than a high school diploma get a Bachelor’s degree.

• Given what parents experienced during the pandemic (“we’re writing this huge check so our kid in the next room can Zoom his required course?”) even greater attention is being paid to alternative paths to a career. These are typically skill-based routes to a good life which do not have the cost/debt albatross of conventional higher education.

For large numbers of Hispanics, the question remains: which path, and at what cost, will they choose to be prepared to move up the economic ladder. The answer with the greatest payoff is still securing a Bachelor’s degree (or higher) at a conventional college, even if the first step is a two-year community college. At the same time, it may be that the aspiration level is linked to the acquisition of a marketable skill, or joining the military, or being an entrepreneur.

• Colleges historically have had no incentive to control their costs. However, competitive pressure is now becoming a factor – a function of declines in the college enrollment cohort and a growing disbelief that conventional college is a must for every single soul. Schools may combine, they may reduce the number of majors they offer, they may stop adding offices for every issue known to a single complainant. Financial aid packages – or incentives like a fourth year free if three years are completed — will need to be improved for colleges to attract the demographic growth sector of young people: financially challenged minorities. EOF programs are already attracting additional students at PWI schools.

• Note: The planned cancellation of $10-20,000 of student debt (as defined) is worthy of a separate lengthy discussion; it is currently on hold because of a court decision. There are additional changes contemplated regarding the ability to eliminate debt through bankruptcy, not possible at present.

Researchers have “discovered” that onerous student debt reduces the ability to purchase a home, start a business, or have children.

Socioeconomic Observations

How the combination of demographic change, educational preparation, and the drive to diversity plays out within the broadly defined Hispanic community is significantly influenced by culture. Being bilingual is an essential baseline, but language can be learned by anyone. The real pay-off in terms of hiring practices should be to the bicultural individual, the person who has internalized the meaning of those words from birth, who can connect culturally.

• Below are interesting thoughts on Hispanic cultural values; they were provided by an

Afro-Colombian woman who came to the United States when she was in her thirties. The set of descriptors waswritten several years ago. It would be interesting to gauge how the world of social media, changed workplace norms, and demographic growth has altered these observations, if any, then classify each trait as positive, negative, or neutral – ultimately using that insight for self-analysis relevant to the majors and career paths to be described herein.

“Personality: Latinos value being in relationships with others and making relationships personal. They value warmth and face-to-face contact. Respect: Latinos value respect for others. Respect is acknowledged for formal authority figures, by age and by expertise. Present time orientation: Latinos have a relaxed view of time and ascribe importance to small talk. Family: this is the main social unit; Latinos depend on the family for support. Appearance: Latinos are meticulous about having a proper appearance since this is related to status, responsibility, and family pride.

Assimilation: Many ethnic groups have done this by taking on language, values, and behaviors of the dominant group and abandoning home culture and language. The Latino experience is different. Problem Solving: Latinos often avoid confrontation, have problems expressing a conflicting opinion, and try to protect relationships by being indirect. Gender Issues: Latino men are typically raised to be dominant, paternalistic, and protective; Communication: Feelings play a major role. Body Language and Distance: Latino is a contact culture. As a sign of sincerity, touching, eye contact and facial expressions are important.”

• Transferring the diversity objective – dictated by demographic change if nothing else — to the hiring process admittedly is a major challenge. Extensive data on overall job growth in different categories are available, as are compensation levels. Not readily available is a series of data points which would track the diversity of candidates as they move from applicant to interview to the employment decision. Numerous studies have shown that names which registered as African American have been disadvantaged. It is not known if there is a study regarding Hispanic names.

There is some experimentation with dropping the job applicant’s name from their resume. Since zip codes provide a window to much socioeconomic information, they should be dropped as well. A real test, highly unlikely to be adopted, would be dropping the name of the college. This could produce a resume that is solely about the individual – what they studied, what they know how to do, what their passions are, what they’re most and least proud of in their young lives.

• An organization named RippleMatch assists organizations attempting to productively handle the need for diversity. It “helps employers build their most diverse teams ever with automated solutions for attracting and hiring underrepresented talent.” RippleMatch interacts with, among other presumptively PWI schools, 170 HBCU and HSI institutions. One of its interesting claims is that RippleMatch can see where bias enters the recruitment and hiring process.

• Many Hispanics are not immediately perceived to be Hispanic, i.e., the other person in a conversation does not immediately realize they are talking with an Hispanic. This can lead to a level of candor, by the unaware person, that is distasteful to say the least. Relatedly, the issue of accents can come to the fore. (Having interacted with Hispanic young people for many years, the author does not even hear accents but that would be untrue in corporate America.)

• When the ultimate objective, for the majority of Hispanics – and most everyone else– is financial success linked to a job, there can be a dilemma of being labeled a “sell-out” or being challenged with “you owe it to the family, to live near us, to be supportive” (note: there is typically no separation, in this articulated obligation, of family habits which are constructive and those which are destructive.) It can be difficult to walk the fine line between family support and trying to accomplish personal goals.

• Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, celebrates June 19, 1865, the day that 250 black enslaved individuals in Texas received word they were free — the communication came two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s an awkward comparison, but there is no celebratory analogy in the Hispanic world. Hispanic Heritage Month passes with the default celebration of food, dance, music, and art. There is inadequate highlighting of careers with income levels that can better create capital and change lives for successive generations.

• On the negative side regarding the success of minorities in the corporate world are the implications of what an employment agency survey reported: 84% indicated it was a big loss when older employees retired without passing on knowledge; 47% of employees had to learn the job on their own. Those employers/bosses who are not comfortable with demographic change in the first place may be all too quick to label the minority employee as being deficient, when the real culprit is the absence of training. Having a mentor on the job has always been an advantage; demographic change makes its absence more noticeable.

• The author of “An Economist goes to the Game” makes this relevant point: “an economist would expect to find that discrimination gets driven out in sales or financial analyst jobs, where performance is easily measured, but maybe not in certain middle manager positions, where performance can be measured very subjectively and where bias can be easily camouflaged.”

• The employment negative which has not gone away is the gender pay gap. It reportedly begins at the first job following college graduation; the overall ratio is 82%. The conventional analysis is that men are more aggressive in seeking fair compensation and women are more about work-life balance. A relatively late addition to the conversation is that New York City has joined a small number of states in passing a law requiring companies to add salary ranges to posted job openings, whether public or internal.

Within Fortune 100 companies, counterintuitively, women reportedly break into the top ten corporate roles faster than do men. However, they hold only 6% of the very top rungs: CEO, COO, President. A key reason is that women are more likely to be in service positions, e.g. Human Resources, than having P&L responsibility and the latter is where the top leaders come from.

• As a final observation in this section, the Brookings Institute has done interesting work on something as “simple” as what might be called the “sequence of a life.” If a person graduates from high school, then gets a job, then gets married, then has a child, the economic outcome is substantially better than mixing up the sequence. Deniers of this seemingly logical analysis would have you believe that single moms are not disproportionately poor, which is untrue.

Different College Majors and Alternative Approaches To Careers

Introductory Comments

What the reader will see in the ensuing pages are brief comments on different fields of study/career aspirations. They do not attempt a complete analysis of compensation, credentials required, and portability of the skill set. They do occasionally include a brief assertion as to the personality profile often associated with a particular employment position.

The essay is not aimed at addressing the inequities of the higher education system itself, especially its absurd cost, nor does it delve into the pros and cons of SAT scores or GPA calculations/correlations. There is no commentary on two areas of employment growth: gaming (advertising for sports betting sites is coming to the business of college) and cannabis.  It does not attempt to dissect a recent “Wall Street Journal” poll: 91% of Republicans but only 61% of Democrats agreed the USA was the “greatest country in the world.” Asked “if people work hard, they are likely to get ahead,” 85% of Republicans agreed, versus 53% of Democrats. More than half the population “believe it is unlikely that younger people today will have better lives than their parents.” Strictly from an economic point of view, the first-or-second generation Hispanic typically has the opportunity to become considerably better off than their parents.

• The October 15, 2022 issue of the “Wall Street Journal” included a study which purports to identify the “Top 50 Companies for Getting Ahead.” The metrics used included everything from hiring inexperienced workers to wages, barriers, promotion policies, and several others. For somebody intent on being immersed in corporate America, the article is worth a look.

Young people have their own list of what they want to see in an employer: besides attractive compensation, they want work-life balance, collaborative environment, extensive training, good communications, bosses aware of the differences in how individuals learn, sensitivity when a capable employee seems intent on creating their own brand, full commitment to DEI, availability of mental health services, extended maternity/paternity leave time, great health insurance, flexible work hours, rapid promotion opportunities, and relaxed dress codes.

At times, it appears said job applicant believes a company exists to provide services to its employees, when in reality if the enterprise does not provide a valuable (as in, paid) product or service to unaffiliated entities/customers/patients/clients, it will not be around to offer benefits.

• Many of the alternative approaches to college that represent satisfying jobs and lives have existed for a long time – electricians, plumbers, cosmetologists, phlebotomists, HVAC, truck driving, landscaping, construction, auto mechanic and others.  Some require minimal fluency in the English language; readily available ELS courses can provide what is needed for transactional purposes. More recently, certificated positions in the computer and healthcare industries have become favorite choices for many not enamored with college.

Some of the categories above have strong unions; the positives there can be availability of health insurance and participation in pension plans, plus a certain level of independence. The negatives are the length of time needed to reach the pay scale of a fully credentialed professional and the fact that this high pay level invites off-the-books competition. In addition, there are risks pertinent to job-related injuries.

What is different about the alternative routes conversation today is the tone. No longer are said paths considered second rate ideas for higher education; in certain situations, they can hold their own compared with the return on investment from expensive Bachelor’s degrees. The counter argument is that the four-year college degree connotes commitment to a challenging regimen and provides the networking connections that pay off in the corporate world. It still has the highest correlation to economic mobility. (Emotionally however, many Latinos would rather be entrepreneurs than work for a boss with whom they may have little in common.)

If the success rate of conventional colleges could be considered competition to alternative routes, the former is not a high bar. For example, according to Daniel Jean at Montclair State University, Hispanic males, which represent 8% of students, only have a 54% graduation rate after six years.

• According to Burning Glass Institute, of college graduates, between one-third and one-half of their first jobs did not require a college degree. This negative ratio was lower for STEM majors and higher for those with soft science or liberal arts majors. Burning Glass indicated that only 41% of overall job postings in November required a Bachelor’s, down from 46% pre-pandemic. According to Third Way, at half of all colleges, more than half of their graduates after six years were not earning more than a high school graduate. Note: at the ten-year mark, the number drops to 29%.

• The successful serial entrepreneur and founder of Fingerpaint makes this statement about the world that great numbers of college graduates will enter: “business is a completely different skill set than school. It takes teamwork, passion, work ethic, people skills, and confidence.” As a sad side note, he preaches continuously about corporate culture without ever touching on diversity, equity, or inclusion. Many would argue this oversight is a widespread phenomenon. Others have observed that some organizations believe they have done their diversity due diligence when they check the box which indicates they have brought on a good percentage of women.

• The cold shower of reality is that conventional colleges are not meeting their diversity objectives. For example, more than 125 colleges signed on to the American Talent Initiative and its goal of adding 50,000 lower income students at high performing colleges (graduation rates of 70% or better) by 2025. So far, according to the “Wall Street Journal,” they have added less than 8,000.

Meanwhile, Google has awarded certificates to more than 100,000 people who have completed its courses. It would be interesting to know the diversity numbers in that figure.

• Running throughout the whole demographic/education/socioeconomic discussion are these existential questions: “am I here to move myself and my children up a notch on the mobility ladder? If what my parents had was good enough to raise a happy family, are my aspirations out-of-line? If I do not have strong aspirations, do I disappoint my mom and dad, who worked so hard to provide me an opportunity for something better? If I have big-time success, will I still be grounded in family and community? Will they expect me to share my financial gains with them and/or to be a role model? Will I have a happy life?”

Accounting:

Becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) requires an extra year of college and success on the CPA exam, which has four parts that must be passed within an eighteen-month period. With a CPA, one might work for an accounting firm or for a corporation. There is no set pattern.

The stereotype of an accountant is that of an uber-organized, detail-oriented personality able to spend endless hours deciding which numbers belong in which box. A lot of this might be true; nonetheless there are multiple categories of accounting which provide variety and, in many cases, additional compensation. One can become expert in individual, corporate, or non-profit accounting; each requires knowledge of situation specific rules and a deep understanding of the country’s ultra-complex tax code. Accountants can be critically important regarding financial planning, budgeting, and acquisition analysis.

Street-level accountants such as those at H&R Block are not required to have the sophisticated knowledge of, for example, a forensic accountant (a growth field). Instead, they must be skilled in rapidly processing information submitted mostly by people whose primary source of income is a weekly paycheck.  

Architecture:

Many young people both like to draw and are fascinated by physical structures. Equally true is that many,  especially those with different cultural backgrounds, lament the number of buildings which are erected for the benefit of a select affluent clientele with little regard for community impact. Perhaps the introduction of a different metric – how does a plan fit with energy conservation and the maintenance of a vibrant community – will somewhat change the equation. Architects, builders, and developers will need to be on the same page.

Becoming an architect is a lengthy and expensive process. For the aspiring young person, there are many similarities to becoming a doctor, including the availability of related careers. These include construction management, property development, and various real estate functions.

Armed Services:

Military involvement has been voluntary since 1973. Many think everyone should be required to put in a two-year stint either in the military or in a stipulated public service category. But that is for another day.

Leaving aside any patriotic feelings, the main attraction here for young people who are financially challenged is money for education, not the side benefit of seeing the world. In this career category, Hispanics lean toward the Army and the Marines and the Coast Guard has also proven to be attractive.

The military needs people, but of those currently attempting to enlist (all branches and ethnicities), only 25% are reportedly considered eligible based on physical fitness and an absence of a criminal record. The Army National Guard is seeing more departures than enlistees. Many who had joined did so for a hopefully short-term reason, e.g., being available during a war situation or assisting during the difficulties brought on by the pandemic.

On the diversity front, in August of 2022, Gen. Michael E. Langley became the first black Marine to receive a fourth star, which places him in senior leadership with two other individuals. It only took 246 years. Mariana Tamariz Santo, born in Chile, raised in the USA, and a member of the WKBJ family, is a USAF Captain. The first female officer to lead a branch of the armed forces is Adm. Linda L. Fagan, Commandant of the Coast Guard. This took 107 years. The good news here is that at the Coast Guard Academy, 40% of the incoming class are women, compared with only 15% of existing personnel.

Note: Today’smilitary.com is a highly useful website for those considering the military option.

Broadcasting:

There are some career paths where to a certain extent, rational balancing of positives and negatives takes a back seat to either perceived glamor (or a great side benefit, such as travel for airline personnel). Broadcasting is in this category, as obtaining a highly visible position is super-competitive and the pay-off for the spotlight job of being the on-air talent is greatly influenced by the size of the market being served.

At the same time, there is a long list of broadcasting positions for those not in front of the camera as news anchors or weather forecasters or political pundits: writers, the camera operators themselves, lighting, production, make-up, studio management, assistants of all kinds.

The Latino interested in broadcasting has the advantage of being able to target opportunities in the Spanish language networks Univision and Telemundo.  Moreover, consistent with the comments in this essay about demographic change, there should be growth in opportunities at English language broadcasters cognizant of the need for multicultural talent.

The radio side of broadcasting is highly computerized; a music-heavy station can be run with very few employees. News-oriented stations require more staff, including reporters who are out in the field and those who man the helicopters used to monitor traffic conditions.  Many religious stations have exceptional transmitting reach. Certain stations have outsized personalities, from sports to politics, that draw considerable listeners. It is hard to discern a normative path for entry into the radio business.

Many colleges have their own broadcasting outlets. Getting involved there is a must for the student interested in broadcasting.

Business Administration:

Many Latinos are drawn to this major because it encompasses a number of sub-majors or concentrations. They range from traditional disciplines in the area of management, finance, marketing, etc. to relatively more recent subjects such as those which encompass E-commerce, BTB (business to business), and DTC (direct to consumer). Project management certificates are also in the mix – note these do not necessarily directly connect to a major; they can be earned at any time.

An alternate explanation for the interest in business administration is that in Latin America, it is one of the most popular degrees, so its selection in the USA may reflect that context.

While business administration is a label that needs explanation, the insight gained by sampling different classes often will ultimately inform the student of a path to be followed in graduate school. An MBA is a more focused decision than the selection of an undergraduate major. It is a statement of intention with respect to a career. This is true even when the presence of an MBA on a resume can be more about the deed (and leverage for greater compensation) than the education substance gained from an expensive multi-year endeavor. Many would say it is simply a must on a resume if a professional wants to climb the corporate ladder.

There is current questioning as to the commitment – years and money required to get an MBA; does it make sense when a decline in college enrollment has colleges fighting for market share. If a student is attending full-time, in many cases they are giving up a job with substantial compensation. Going part-time is then the better route. Getting the employer to kick in funding is often possible; the trade-off is typically a requirement to stay at the company for a period of years. Late news: prestigious MBA programs are joining the on-line world, albeit with no break in the cost of tuition.

Students who pursue an international business concentration will find a large pool of major companies for whom diversity is already a fact of life because they function in multiple countries around the world. This is an attractive area for those who bring a bicultural understanding to their job.

Note: The business administration undergraduate major can be the place where individuals become

interested in human resources.  They see it as an area where personality is relevant, where employees can be helped to understand the confusing interplay between legal requirements and business practices. They hope the HR person will not be continually beaten down by a CEO who fears HR is promising costly benefit to employees that he does not want to deliver.

It is also an area where there periodically there is an examination of the merits of capitalism. In addition to on-going discussion of income inequality and institutional barriers to advancement, there is a particular push not only with respect to DEI, but changes surrounding the climate control issue of energy efficiency.

Communications:

It is difficult to immediately know what this major means. This can be an advantage, because the student can make it what best works for them: it could be journalism (declining in its traditional employment format), public relations, podcasts, the creation of marketing materials, and/or the myriad of skillsets that come under the heading of social media.

In some cases, demonstrating your capability before landing a bona fide job is challenging. Networking is important and internships are a must. Neither come easily – the student must be proactive.

The underlying good news, being repeated everywhere, is demographic change and what that means for businesses selling products or services or non-profit organizations seeking to maximize their impact. They must be able to provide messaging which fits the growing Hispanic population.

Note: ImpreMedia, the owner of Spanish language newspapers El Diario in New York City and La Opinion in Los Angeles, is being acquired by a company named My Code. This company runs an advertising network in California and has a business premise that two-thirds of Hispanic consumers are bilingual.

Computer Science:

Job growth in this area was exceptionally high until very recently when the tech companies overall began cutting back. Previously they were urging students to major in computer science and the number doing so had tripled in the past decade.

Whether the current retrenchment will affect the selection of majors by freshmen is unknown. What is known is that the field is financially attractive for those who are committed to working hard and continuously adding to their knowledge and skill base. Moreover, in addition to rigorous courses in conventional college settings and internships, there are limited duration workshops that lead to highly credible certificates and/or jobs (note the current retrenchment). Incremental learning can come from YouTube and other readily available sources.

Latinos can readily move the diversity needle here and make good money. They may struggle with the closed personalities of many of their colleagues — nerds, geeks, and other individuals not characterized by great social skills — but that should not retard their interest in a field which, according to conventional forecasts, will continue to grow after the current slowdown.

Included in this sector is Cybersecurity, a relatively new skill set which has exploded in demand given the constant battle between those who want to protect your information and those who want to hack into it.

This is an international confrontation, with political as well as financial implications.

Included as well is Data Analytics, a major that attaches itself to a long list of disciplines as it is at root a process talent. Growth in demand for those with this skill is quite evident, with relevance to everything from algorithms on consumption habits to decisions made by managers of baseball teams.

Somewhere in Computer Science, perhaps as a concentration not a major, is Artificial Intelligence. AI is being implemented as fast as the scientists, mathematicians, and engineers can figure out how to productively interact with live people and their decision-making.

Criminal Justice:

Many students gravitate toward criminal justice – without a specific job in mind — because of a belief that the penal system is unfair. From a personality standpoint, this is suggestive of a social worker or political advocate mentality, not characteristics historically true of conventional police work.

The trend toward reduced or no-bail situations currently correlates with an increased crime rate, making some people wonder about the definition of justice. The criminal justice major will argue that racism plus underlying socioeconomic conditions plus mental health issues are the causes. Implicitly they are saying that without those being addressed, a certain level of crime is inevitable.

With the widespread use of DNA, there has been growth in the number of organizations interested in uncovering wrongful convictions and providing identification assistance as well when there is no DNA match. In this regard, Ramapo College recently launched an Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center.

Note: A policeman the author has known for a long time claims the FBI will not even consider an applicant with a criminal justice major. The FBI otherwise hires people of multiple backgrounds with a wide variety of college majors; language capability is a particularly important asset for an applicant.

Culinary Arts:

This is a truly specialized area, reserved for those for whom food preparation and presentation is a completely overriding passion. The major is only available at a handful of colleges. Internships are often built into the program. Practicing in front of live, critical audiences is part of food theatre.

Note: a sous-chef at a fancy New York City restaurant can make $70,000, a tasty amount for sure.

Design Categories:

Fashion Design as a major is not offered at many colleges. Specialty schools, e.g., New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology, are the go-to places for students who ignore the verbiage about the cutthroat nature of the international fashion business. They want their name on a dress or pocketbook or undergarment in the window of a well-known store or featured on a big website.

Graphic Design is a key input to virtually everything done by those producing or marketing a product or service. It is a career where consulting is feasible, i.e., doing different types of jobs for different types of clients. Thus, it appeals to those who like a certain amount of personal contact, but not every day 9-5. Young people who have come of age during the world of social media should have an advantage in creating graphics which speak to all those soliciting or reacting to “likes.”

Like other creative categories, website development/design is a talent which can begin as a teenage passion, the individual then receiving technical training wherever in the educational world, with the end result being an attractive career position.

Dietician:

Over 90% are women and a comparable percentage are white. While these technically are separate calculations, the math is clear: the discipline of being a dietician has not been an area of diversity. One would think that with more attention being paid (at least verbally) to the impact of nutritional eating on both weight and mental health, greater diversity in this job category would be inevitable.

Diversity brings quite different eating habits and food choices to the table and inhibits anything close to a useful generalization about menus in a hospital setting. This is where the dietician earns his or her spurs, customizing the eating recommendation to the specific medical situation of an individual.

This is different from the corporate cafeteria or restaurant field or other food location, where the dietician is trying for broader appeal that must simultaneously satisfy the financial people.

Education:

This major is of course worthy of an entire book, with lots of data, philosophical battle narratives, the critical importance of DEI, the long-lasting impact of horrible school shootings, political involvement in curricula, inadequate teacher compensation, and numerous other topics.

Suffice it to say, there are many education reformers who believe the education major curriculum at most colleges has not been in synch with the real world and the need to improve K-12 public education. Graduates need considerable professional development, which is not always available in schools with tight budgets. As a specific unsurprising need, they have to learn classroom management. This can be a serious struggle, especially when there are significant cultural differences between the teacher and the students. 

A strong argument for greater diversity in the ranks of both teachers and school leaders throughout K-12 and college as well is the accuracy of the saying by a student, “I can’t be what I can’t see.”

Lest one forget, those who go into teaching hopefully do so because they love kids and want to make a difference in their lives. Money is secondary. Those who think funding overall is highly connected to education outcomes should begin with paying teachers more, while simultaneously holding them accountable for how they conduct their classrooms, including academic results.

Note: perhaps surprising to some, it is not unusual to see strong classroom teachers having difficulty passing the required Praxis exam to become certified. In New York City, a ten-year legal battle was recently resolved; the teacher licensing test was declared biased. Around 4,700 minority teachers who had lost their jobs will receive a portion of a $1.8 billion settlement.

Engineering:

The successful Latino here moves the diversity numbers up appreciably, reflecting the relatively small comparative base. Overall, in the STEM field, Hispanics are only 8% of the workforce. Potential financial rewards are large for those students running the gauntlet anywhere in engineering.

In this difficult sector, if relevant high school courses are not available, the student will be challenged by the engineering major at a good university. The question then becomes whether the university, itself presumably aiming for greater diversity, is willing to support the budding minority engineer. In any case, the hours of study are long.

When it comes to the choice between electrical and mechanical engineering, many Latino students have chosen the latter. It provides a skilled hands-on function not relevant to the former, which is characterized as looking at a screen all day.  

Chemical engineering has a different dynamic. The field of robotics is growing at a rapid clip, as is that of drones, solar, and green initiatives. More demand for engineers. All good.

English:

Like the student who majors in art or anthropology (neither of which is included here) the English major may be faced with the nagging question, “what kind of job will you get?” The interrogation is particularly pointed when funding for college is not readily available; financially challenged parents may simply say “no” to writing a check for this major.

Often, the funding timeframe is extended, and the amount increased, because the undergraduate English major then goes to graduate school and majors not in English, but in a complementary major. Or maybe they go to Law School, which increases their value in the marketplace. Alternatively, they become a professor and teach other, mostly undecided, students.

Clearly, diversity supporters would welcome more Latino English majors. Moreover, many politicians would applaud such an event, the selection suggesting that immigrants would be more likely to learn the complexities of the English language.

Entrepreneur:

Nationally, those who are self-employed number 9.5 million, about 6% of the total workforce.

In thinking about Latino entrepreneurs, the first thought is small businesses: restaurants, landscaping, construction, beauty parlors, cleaning services, party supplies, auto repair, carpentry. None of these require the sophisticated networking associated with obtaining professional support, capital is available (often from multi-year savings), and a four-year college degree is  not necessary. One must work hard, with long hours. Entire families are often involved.

The leading reason for becoming an entrepreneur is the ability to be your own boss, money is secondary. In more recent times, the concept of the “side hustle” has gained in popularity – not giving up the corporate money, but having something more interesting – and, in this case, connected to an entrepreneurial idea – that is pursued at the end of the day and on weekends.

For those who have a college degree, the goal of being an entrepreneur may reflect a certain distaste for working in corporate America.

Entrepreneurship in almost every field involves long hours, culture, rules, regulations, the quicksand of tax requirements, maybe whether the idea is scalable and eventually would require professional venture capital. Many would agree that making mistakes is integral to being an entrepreneur – or being successful in any endeavor. Nickel mistakes are educational; dollar errors can be ruinous.

Skill categories like being an electrician or a plumber do not leap to mind as being entrepreneurial, but individuals who ply their trade in those areas fit the definition. When one looks at the average age of current practitioners in these areas in the United States, there is a wave of retirements on the horizon. This will mean a large opportunity for people who like working primarily for themselves, albeit in non-glamorous professions.

Note: Macy’s reportedly will invest $30 million over the next five years to foster the growth of new businesses that bring diversity to the table. This capital will be leveraged with debt and management advice. At present, minority entrepreneurs nationally receive a tiny percentage of venture capital funding.

Ethnic Studies:

Reflecting both demographic change and the desire by colleges to be more sensitive to the backgrounds of their students, this major was already on a growth path before Black Lives Matter. Since then, it has climbed sharply in popularity, often serving as a platform for political statements and action: cancel culture, whether something is sufficiently “woke,” the excoriation of American racism represented by a myriad of freshly published books.

It is unclear how the Hispanic experience fits into the construct of this major nationally. HSI colleges are a different matter: history, ethnicity, and immigration threads are tied together.

Finance:

Broadly defined to include Wall Street, venture capital, conventional banks, digital payment mechanisms, and the crypto/bitcoin world, finance represents about one-fifth of GDP. This is baffling to those who ask what does finance actually “make!”  Finance “makes” mortgages, loans, seed capital for new businesses, the funds necessary for companies to grow, the money necessary to establish a presence in international markets and other purposes. The stock and bond markets provide the necessary liquidity for both individual and institutional transactions to occur, including the monetization of the capital embedded in entrepreneurial entities.

On the less favorable side, there is something disquieting about access to inexpensive capital facilitating the ability of certain Wall Streeters to treat companies as simply chips in an elaborate poker game.

Asked about boosting their diversity numbers, financial firms traditionally responded by saying “we cannot find minority candidates.” Leaving aside the snippy retort, “are they even looking,” the pressure is now on to rectify their lopsided employment rosters.

In thinking of careers in finance, it is helpful to examine key components. On average, those prospective minority candidates who think of going into finance do not bring a long list of contacts from whom money can be extracted for whatever services the firm is providing. 

They are equally unlikely to have had substantial experience in, for example, making decisions about an investment portfolio. Training to achieve diversity goals here thus is a long, expensive process, with a near-term pay-off that is likely to be more cosmetic – the right boxes can be checked – than substantive.

Shifting to the sales side within finance is more immediately doable. There is still the handicap of probably not growing up in a household that regularly discussed the world of money – other than is there enough to pay our bills – but training is manageable, with more clarity on results. Rewards to the minority individual are tangible; moving the diversity numbers becomes a fact of life that redounds to the benefit of those beyond the specific individual who makes good in finance.

The world of finance includes research analysts, traders, lawyers, mathematicians, specialists in different types of investments, salespeople, and administrative staff, among other job headings. There are many opportunities for a good job.

Not surprisingly, there are attitudinal differences within the world of finance. Industry leader JP Morgan has made a substantial commitment to increasing diversity. In contrast, Wells Fargo has checked all the boxes of what not to do, including reportedly interviewing a minority applicant when the job had already been promised to another (white) candidate. Those striving to move up the employment ladder do not need to be reminded of corporate hypocrisy.

Note: Greenwood, a black-owned digital banking platform, is buying Gathering Spot – a networking hub and workspace for black professionals. The former has 30,000 account holders, while the latter has 12,000 members who pay $100-250 per month.  These numbers are flyspecks in the world of finance but important to the prospects of diverse growth in the field.

There are numerous Hispanic professional organizations, including those in the finance area, but I am not aware of an Hispanic counterpart to what Greenwood is structuring itself to accomplish.

Foreign Languages:

With English and Spanish already in your language portfolio, pick Chinese, Arabic, or French and a graduate can travel the world fluently. They will be in high demand, from international corporations to non-profit organizations seeking to make an impact in less developed areas of the globe. The federal government would like multilingual assistance in better understanding the dynamics of the many nations where monolingual desk-bound staffers in Washington have proved inadequate to the task.

This can be area where studying Hispanic-language literature is a focus, as a major or a concentration.

Government:

Broadly speaking, government jobs are attractive: decent compensation, above-average health insurance and pension benefits. In many instances, the positions can be held for a very long time without fear of sudden cost-cutting moves by those higher up the governance structure.

In terms of growth, there is a rather continuous struggle – should jobs oriented to the military be cut back (“but not for my constituency!”) and those connected to social welfare increased. There is a more subtle debate along the lines of whether it is money per se or how the money is spent that should be the crux of the matter when it comes to analyzing policies and their outcomes.

For anybody interested in this area as a career, they should understand which jobholders are elected and which are appointed. They are probably already aware that having an entrepreneurial personality is typically not a great fit with government work.

Only 10% of federal government employees are Hispanic, meaning there is substantial room for increases to attain parity with share of population.

Hospitality:

This is a broad area, encompassing hotels and restaurants of all types.

In looking at trends pertinent to the selection of a major in this sector, it is helpful to adjust for the sharply negative impact of the pandemic.  Doing so allows one to dwell more on rising discretionary income around the world and the positive effect that has on both travel and dining out.

Years back, it was expected that video conferencing would kill business travel. This has not happened. Now, with hybrid work schedules increasingly the norm, will there be fewer hotel-based meetings? This is unclear, but hotels are hedging their bets by adding amenities to make their offerings as attractive as possible. Space devoted to physical fitness equipment has increased.

There is a certain fun aspect connected to jobs in this area, for example, the variety of experiences with different people.  In heavily tourist areas, guides with deep historical knowledge are in such demand that a strong season can create enough income for them to go traveling in the off part of the year.

From a profile standpoint, while a certain level of management or specific expertise might be relevant for certain positions, personality is hugely important. Having a satisfied customer/client/patron, whether it be a hotel or a restaurant, is critical, not only directly but for the word-of-mouth benefits and all those likes and positive reviews on social media.

Insurance:

As the saying goes, “insurance is sold, not bought.” Nobody truly wants to put out real money for a hypothetical use or related to their eventual demise.

The math mavens involved know that the “hypothetical” is quite real – there will be a certain number of auto accidents, of fires, of deaths, of all manner of negative events. And they can predict, not always accurately of course, which individual profiles are more likely to have which types of problems, and their insurance rates get adjusted accordingly.

Insurance salespeople thus function with an assuredness, to them, that insurance is a genuine need. Armed with carefully constructed customer prospect lists, an empathetic, engaging personality can do well in this field, although increasingly the interface is digital, rather than face-to-face.

Insurance is not an area which draws significant Hispanic attention as a major. As a consumer, however, that is a different matter: health insurance is hugely important.  The financial risks of being without health insurance are so great that people sometimes will take a job solely for that insurance.

Auto insurance is a must. The media are full of creative attempts by insurers to gain market share.

International Affairs/Politics:

You would think this would be a compelling area of student interest, policy issues for discussion that range from A to Z, from abortion to zoos (are they unfair living quarters for their occupants).

At the same time, those of college age and slightly beyond have in recent years been immersed in racial strife, unprecedented political conflict with overtones of armed rebellion, stunning reversals of longstanding decisions (Roe v. Wade), a pandemic, minimal substantive interest in President Biden other than his name not being Trump, and now inflation at a level not seen in these individuals’ lifetimes.

The reaction has not been, “wow, lots going on; I want to become involved and get more progressive politicians elected.” It has been closer to, “the country is effed up; I quit.” This reinforces the voting imbalance wherein older, more affluent, whiter individuals go to the polls at a much higher rate than young complainers.

Note: There is an assumption that being Hispanic means being a Democrat. Not so. Around one-third of Hispanics vote Republican. Family values (no comment here about hypocrisy), focus on getting a job, and an emphasis on traditional gender-based values are the stated reasons the right has more Hispanic supporters than would be expected given the former president’s bombast.

Law School:

Among WKBJ participants, interest in the law tended to overlap with immigration, criminal justice, and public policy issues more than corporate law. One became an expert in the specialized sector of digital copyright law. It was not surprising that one member attended CUNY Law School, which prides itself on being the public interest law school.

With diversity increasingly being prized, there is scrutiny being given to the impediment posed by the requirement that law school applicants not have criminal records. Personal interaction with the law and  more direct contact with cultural differences in how the law is applied could make formerly incarcerated individuals better lawyers.

There are additional changes in this area. Certain law schools have withdrawn from the U.S. News ranking system, alleging that it produces a bias toward schools serving affluent students and works against the professed desire of many law schools to increase their diversity. By the fall of 2025, the LSAT and GRE tests will become optional for law schools to use or not as they see fit.

The legal profession is akin to the restaurant industry. We have no need for more of them, but when a good new one appears, they do well.  Americans love to sue; handshake agreements are no more. Besides, all negative events are the other guy’s fault. Seriously, an area like immigration cries out for some rational resolution of legal and policy goals. Who better to become involved than an Hispanic lawer.

Liberal Arts:

The critic of this a major would say, “quick, indicate the three most popular jobs of Liberal Arts graduates. In all likelihood, you cannot, or maybe you are forced to say barista, retail, or a comparable endeavor not worth the price paid for four years of college education.

The historians will say, “so what, the purpose of college is to create a well-rounded citizen equipped with critical thinking skills. It is not a job-training site.” There is certainly some truth to that. However, it is buried by the reality that a first/second- generation student is putting out a large sum of money, much of it debt, which they want to see paid off through a job that pays a decent wage. They typically cannot afford the luxury of using Liberal Arts as a way to find themselves.

Affluent students, a category which overlaps with a feeling of entitlement or a belief that they will land somewhere within the family’s sphere of influence, can handle the fuzziness of a Liberal Arts major. For others, it is more of a struggle, not infrequently reluctantly leading to a more focused and expensive decision: graduate school.

Note: Given the declining overall college enrollment situation and the existence of many private, expensive, small endowment liberal arts colleges, a shake-out seems inevitable. Some who fear this have entered into course-sharing arrangements, wherein a student can take different courses from different colleges; it can work when the classes are a mix of in-person and on-line.  Mergers are taking place. Even more commonplace are collaborations between two-year schools and their four-year counterparts. The former has a budget proposition, while the latter has the brand.

Marketing:

At times, it may appear that digital marketing (which could itself be a major or a concentration) has totally usurped the role of an individual. Given the power of Amazon, its specialized web-based counterparts,  and the direction taken by many companies, marketing is infinitely more complicated than heretofore. All manner of algorithms are at play, with math wizards interacting with the product and marketing people to come up with the right approach.

There still remains a role for direct marketing. Whether it is condos or clothing or cars – or common stocks or the merits of a non-profit organization, personality remains a key component of the direct marketing that cannot be reduced to digital decisions. The profile of that personality is relatively gregarious, perpetually positive, with an ability to ignore the incidence of failure while learning from it.

With training on the specifics of whatever is being sold, the possessor of this profile can be a successful “salesperson.” Throw in the truism that it is easier to find somebody to make a product than it is to find somebody to sell it, and the marketing area is ripe for penetration by bicultural individuals.

(As a discipline and career, marketing is not to be confused with conventional retail store positions, where compensation is not high and the personal touch is often being scanned out of existence.)

Regardless of where the emphasis may lie, the unfolding demographic change in the consumer base means it is imperative for companies to diversify their marketing staffs.  Sure, some Latinos are not enamored with either corporate life (they are not alone in that regard), but transformational income is there to be earned.

California is home to a fully Hispanic-centric marketing company, NGL Collective; it creates advertising content and events for well-known companies like Pandora, Wendy’s, Taco Bell and numerous others.

Event planning itself is an area of interest by some students. It requires personality, networking, and attention to detail.

Math:

Many young people openly express their antipathy for anything connected to math. More substantively, for those who appreciate its uniquely powerful role, math connects to computer science and engineering, as well as countless other disciplines. The bad news is that in these three college major areas, inadequate high school preparation is a problem. The good news is that each is an area where a student who has persevered can demonstrate their knowledge in real time, unlike the situation with the soft sciences. Substantial income is attainable.

Eventually, the successful jobholder in the interrelated STEM fields may be faced with the question of whether they want to be a manager, i.e., not remain in a totally peer situation. Here, personality plays a role, and quite possibly, there ensues the need to pursue a complementary major, particularly within the sub-categories of an MBA.

Medical Careers:

*Becoming a doctor is an expensive multi-year undertaking that typically begins with a biology major at the undergraduate level. In a way, it may seem like a straightforward process, albeit highly difficult. However, minority candidates typically do not come with the built-in advantages of many of their classmates, such as exposure to the medical world through family or family friend connections. They may have been working full-time while studying for the MCAT, not a good plan. Their deep-seated desire to become physicians is faced with the hurdles of economic resources and a support network.

There are about 50,000 annual applications to medical schools, with about 40% admitted. Two-thirds are male. Only 5% are African American and 6%, Hispanic.

Fortunately there are changes afoot to address the imbalance of the minority doctor count compared with the number who had wanted to become a doctor. Changes in medical curricula are being made to factor in poverty and race and how healthcare is connected to these variables. There is more attention being paid to the healthcare benefits of what is called “concordance.” When a patient is treated by a doctor of his ethnicity, trust is enhanced and recommendations are more likely to be followed.

Presumably this greater awareness could incentivize would-be doctors to stay with the grind that the profession requires of its candidates. In addition, there is a program entitled Linkage and Assurance which provides a one-year preparation period between the completion of one’s Bachelor’s degree and the beginning of medical school.

Some would-be doctors look at the big picture and decide becoming a physician assistant is their preferred route. This is especially true for those have become convinced that the dramatically higher income earned by a doctor is matched by an unattractive combination of stress level and on-call lifestyle.

*The route to becoming a dentist is analogous to that of a doctor.

*Becoming a pharmacist is another multi-year, expensive route to a professional career and substantial income. At the same time, legal exposure has increased and cost-cutting corporate owners have added pharmacist technicians to handle some of the work that formerly required a full-fledged pharmacist.

*Years back, an Associate’s degree was fine for a nurse, now the requirement is to have a Bachelor’s. Nursing has always been an attractive career for those who want to help people when they are hurting. And there is the opportunity to have a specialty within nursing.

During the pandemic, it became a more mobile profession, with financially attractive short-term situations available at hospitals not consistently fully staffed. On the negative side, reportedly 100,000 nurses (out of 3.9 million) quit in 2021, the most in 40 years, the culprits being COVID-related stress and depression.

*Occupational and physical therapy are both careers with rising demand curves. The need for professional rehabbing in a non-hospital setting and the aging of affluent Americans who want to stay in better shape than required in a rocking chair are primary factors. Both disciplines require higher credentials than formerly. Both have a degree of independence. Both have the appeal of helping people in need; both require an interactive personality to be successful. 

*In contrast to the above situations, nobody knows what a health sciences major really means. Is it preparatory for a career as a dental hygienist or a physician assistant or a nurse? Typically, the undergraduate simply does not know exactly where they are going and decides later based on their real world experience. Those who have made a strong commitment to a projected career instead line up their course schedule to be consistent with that goal.

*An additional entry here would be hospital administration. Some might think that a management generalist could occupy this position. However, they would need to learn the arcane vocabulary relevant to the bureaucratic world of healthcare.

*Becoming a home healthcare aide is possible with a multi-week course that leads to a certificate. Even though the role involves a unique combination of social work, medical knowledge, and custodial skill, it is not a fairly compensated position.

*EMT and various medical technician jobs require either Associate’s degrees or certificates.

Note: There is a crying need for community-based medical professionals, a descriptor which equates to more diversity. This means there is an open door for graduates of every sector of the medical world.

Non-profit Organizations:

A full commitment to DEI is increasingly central to the mission of non-profit operating agencies which receive public funding or private contributions. Non-profit foundations lag in this regard. Legally the two sectors are quite different, although financially intertwined. It’s complicated, but reputable schools do offer graduate degrees in non-profit management. 

In part because non-profits normally are not selling anything on which they produce a discernible profit, their bottom lines tend to fluctuate around the breakeven point, achieved by successful fund-raising and/or substantial government grants/contracts. Personality is important to the former function and a blend of skills is relevant to the latter.

There are many young people who are interested in doing non-profit work. However, the pay schedule is usually not good, and the offset of a less stressful working environment is often insufficient to attract people straight out of college unless they have minimal financial obligations. As a result, it is common for those who want to “do God’s work” to initially have a job in a higher-paying situation before considering whether to shift gears and work for a non-profit organization.  

In today’s world, instead of this being an either-or situation, minority individuals have the opportunity to move the diversity needle within their corporate setting and be role models in doing so, all good. Relatedly, they might scratch their non-profit itch by becoming a volunteer or going on the board to see the inner workings of a non-profit organization.

Police:

Contrary to what might be anticipated given the media’s attention to the interplay of race and police conduct, young minorities are still applying to be police officers. For example, in New York City, half the incoming class is minority.

Compensation is attractive (the national average is $70,000), as is the pension, which can be received at a much faster pace than in the corporate world. There are vacancies everywhere in police departments, which has led to some poaching, with bonuses being paid to policemen shifting from big cities to smaller.

With crime having increased in recent periods, perhaps a result of numerous prosecutors dropping bail requirements and implementing retroactive clearance of prior “minor” crimes, those who have advocated turning the police department into an extension of social work are on the defensive. This has irritated those who believe that getting police work right, i.e., more accountability, does not contradict the need for incremental funding as police departments implement their redesign efforts to become better community citizens.

The obvious downside of police work is the physical risk. According to USA Facts, however, there is a positive surprise in this regard: in terms of fatalities per 100,000 employees: the police come in at 13.4, lower by a wide margin than seventeen other categories.

Note: Because there is a first responder commonality between the police and firefighters and because the announcement was interesting, I am including here the “New York Times” report that after 157 years, there is a woman who is the Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department. She is in charge of 17,370 employers; 2,000 inspectors; and 4,550 emergency personnel. Her immediate pledge was to move the diversity data. At present, 13% of those in the fire department are Hispanic, 8% are African American and 2% are Asian. The number of women is miniscule.

Psychology:

The Latino or African American sits in a college class where the Psychology professor speaks of the disadvantages pertinent to birth/income/ethnic circumstances. They link these observations to mental health. To many students, this is a message with which they can identify, and therefore it has an appeal different from a great number of possible majors. They envision being able to use psychology training to  help one’s own people, a specialized modification of “I can’t be what I can’t see.”

Enticing cultures resistant to therapy to open up means a new market that is best served by a bicultural psychologist. The popularity of the major, however, has brought about an oversupply condition at the Bachelor’s level. Income is not likely to be attractive for the student who does earn a higher credential.

Mental health challenges in the country were already increasing pre-pandemic and then escalated sharply during the extended lockdown. Moreover, there is no indication that overall, people feel better about themselves and their prospects now that the impact of the virus has subsided. If anything, the heightened political divisiveness makes everything worse from a mental health standpoint.

Recent attention has focused on an increased suicide rate for those in the 25-44 year-old age bracket. As an on-going metric, men commit suicide at triple the rate of women; they are more likely to use guns and less apt to seek help. (Gun-related deaths overall now exceed auto-related deaths.)

An interesting development in the battle to reduce the number of suicides is the experimental use of algorithms and computer-based information systems. The goal is to be in contact with the suicidal individual at the earliest possible moment. Given the many non-quantifiable factors involved, this is a difficult proposition, including the need to know when it is mandatory for the psychologist or psychiatrist to intervene. The mental health histories of several perpetrators of school shootings have brought more attention to this latter question.

Relatedly, there are now web-based mental health services; troubled young people in particular seem more willing to available themselves of impersonal assistance – or that provided by TikTok — than “talk therapy.” These services are ill-equipped to make full diagnoses and often are overly eager to prescribe medications. Then too, psychiatrists, on paper the next step up the career ladder from psychologist, always have been accused of being too quick to reach for their prescription pads.

Social Media:

The talents needed by companies involved in this broadly defined area are spread among multiple categories, from conventional to cutting edge: engineering, computer science, content creation, marketing, connections with the advertising community, security, deep thinking and math pertinent to artificial intelligence. Until quite recently, employment levels by these concerns were perpetually climbing; that suddenly has been reversed in the current economic climate.

Without denying the appeal of working for these businesses and without ignoring the fact that everybody knows of somebody who created an app and made a zillion dollars, the average student needs to focus on establishing a skill set without worrying unduly about the exact name of their ultimate employer.

Social Work:

The opportunity to help people in need is the overriding motivation for becoming a social worker.  Leaving compensation aside, as the entry level is insufficient by most yardsticks, being a social worker is a natural area for Hispanics who want to make a direct and personal impact. Demographically, there is continuous growth in demand for their services.

A social worker has the ability to earn multiple credentials, including those which enable one to have a private practice. Often the latter is a part-time endeavor, supplementing government-based employment, which definitionally includes grants to non-profit organizations.

As is true elsewhere in the service sector, a bicultural Hispanic social worker becomes the go-to person for Spanish-speaking clients. Caseload norms may be overlooked, without any change in compensation. The situation becomes a test of the social worker’s passion for the job.  The nature of the relationship between a social worker and her supervisor can either reduce on-going stress or accentuate it.

To say there is a need for skilled, compassionate social workers is an understatement. According to USA Facts, in 2020, nearly four million children were part of “maltreatment investigations. Over 15% were found to be victims of abuse or neglect.”

Sports Management:

The advent of pervasive social media, streaming, apps of all kinds, and data analytics have combined to produce viable year-round coverage of every major sport, plus many new ones (e.g., axe-throwing) seemingly created because broadcasters or narrowcasters must have content. In addition, lots of young kids no longer simply play, they are organized into clubs, travel, compete, get swag from the same companies that sponsor well-known professional athletes. This has meant many more relevant jobs in sports management, formerly a niche endeavor.

Ignoring any sober analysis of sports management as a major, the area is clearly exciting. Sports is the ultimate reality show; contests have definable and immediate outcomes, unlike the long list of situations faced by individuals in their personal lives.

What is needed academically for this career is not totally clear. What is evident though is the role of personality. There is lots of marketing, lots of people interaction, lots of networking. Internships are a must. The school where a student pursues this major should have a record of job placement success.

Supply Chain Management:

In recent years, this area – as a major or concentration — has become “hot,” with attractive compensation. The pandemic in particular brought a sharp spike in interest, as prior expectations of delivery times and quantities were tossed out the window. The return of some manufacturing to the United States from various sites around the world, but particularly China, does not change the demand for supply chain management as most companies want to operate with minimal inventory on hand. Huge warehouses now dot the domestic landscape.

Theatre and Music:

Somebody better versed in social media, Tik Tok influencers, self-made videos, vlogs, and other participants in what might be called short-form theatre/music will need to be consulted to understand how conventional academic education interacts with what takes place in these sectors. The connection seems tenuous.

For insight on the economics of concert touring, “Live Nation affects Artists like Me” (“New York Times: 12/10/22) is extremely helpful. Every band should have a financial person for self-protection.

Traditionally, theatre and music have been majors where a certain level of rationality, akin to playing the lottery, is overridden with a single-minded focus on a wonderful outcome: one’s name in lights or on the screen or attached to a song/album played repeatedly throughout the world. Hollywood and Broadway beckon (and music labels and Spotify and a bunch of other sites)!

The area connotes fun. So if an immediate monetization of one’s talents is not crucial and if the cost to pursue either of these majors is not painful, better for a young person to go for theatre and music immediately than wake up at age 40 and lament not having pursued their dream.

Fortunately, every reasonably sized locale in the country has some type of creative entity, with most productions including a good chunk of singing and dancing. More importantly for the large numbers involved, use of a cell phone immediately catapults one into the world of theatre and music, if desired.

Transportation:

The demand for truck drivers at specialized companies began many decades ago with the ubiquitous UPS brown vans, jumped sharply with the formation of Federal Express, escalated with the success of Amazon, and now includes, thanks to the groundbreaking efforts of Uber, a growing number of ride-sharing services, plus the advent of food delivery companies like Door Dash.

Economists refer to the ride-sharing and food delivery service areas as being fragmented, where theoretically entry by another competitor is not that difficult. This is why well-capitalized new entrants want to scale up as quickly as possible. At the same time, depending on the specific situation, the driver function itself can be outsourced, i.e., the driver may be a contractor, not an employee. The field lends itself to owner-operators and part-timers who have their CDL (commercial drivers license).

Anybody taking a drive on an interstate or attempting to negotiate a crowded NYC side street will see a myriad of truck situations. Unknown names are intermingled with those of easily recognized conventional trailer truck companies. Based on my reading of employment information on those 53-foot trailer trucks one passes on Route 80, there has been a lift in compensation in this area. Some advertise the percentage of their drivers who return home on a daily basis. However, the independence factor—driving a truck means no boss breathing down your neck – has been lessened as digital tracking now means he can know every time the driver takes a second sip of his coffee.

The aviation sector is highly specialized, whether it be on the mechanic end or the pilot. There are multiple attractions to the area, leading with compensation. Students interested are directed to a small number of colleges which can serve as entry points to training at the airline level. There is a shortage of commercial aircraft pilots and diversity is slowing gaining ground among domestic airlines.

Note: auto mechanics is a transportation sector covered in the skills description earlier in this essay.

How it really went down

Roman, aide to Vladimir Putin, called Susan, aide to President Biden

Susan to Biden: President Biden, President Biden! Vladimir Putin is on the line.

Biden to Susan: Why are you bothering me, you know it’s my nap time.

Susan to Biden: It’s Putin.

Biden to Susan: Oh, why didn’t you say so.

Susan to Biden: Did you put your hearing aid in your left ear like always?

Biden to Susan: Whoops, forgot. Here I go, I’m doing it now.

**

Biden: Vladimir, how are you? Long time, no talk. I am so glad you called. Congress is potentially cutting back on its aid to Ukraine. It would be nice for you to pause your devastation.

Putin: No problem, Joey, consider it done. But the real reason I called was – I need Viktor back.

Biden: Who? Wait, I remember, he is like a really bad guy, responsible indirectly for the death of several hundred thousand people.

Putin: A million actually, but who’s counting.

Biden: But he got convicted.

Putin: Happens all the time. Look, I’m spit-balling a bit here but I know you need something in return for giving me my Viktor. How about Paul Whelan?

Biden: Who the hell is he?

Putin to Roman: Doesn’t this guy get any help from his aides!

Putin to Biden: Some sort of computer geek.

Biden: Where is he well known?

Putin: I don’t know, maybe some club for middle-aged white guys!

Biden: No interest, what else you got?

Putin: A well-known person, like front page of the New York Times.

Biden: I’m listening, go on.

Putin: Female.

Biden: Good.

Putin: Black

Biden: Excellent

Putin: Gay

Biden: Awesome, I like it Vlad. Who is she?                  

Biden to Susan, who is Putin talking about?

Susan to Biden: A basketball player, you know the really tall one who supposedly had some drugs with her when she tried to leave Russia.

Biden to Susan: Damn, I forgot all about her.

Biden: Vlad, I think we have a deal if you throw in Paul.

Putin: Cannot do that, Joey baby.

Biden: Ok, I understand. Too much to ask. So let’s make the trade. I give you an arms dealer and you give me a basketball player.

Putin: Thanks Joey, I’m drinking a toast to this and future deals with you.

Biden: Call anytime, Vlad.

Biden to Susan, I’m going to finish my nap now. No more interruptions.

Susan to Biden: What if the press hears about the trade and calls with questions?

Biden to Susan: Refer them to the New York Times or Pravda: they can explain the deal.