Letter to the New York Times(2)

March 11, 2009

Letters Editor
New York Times
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
letters[at]nytimes.com

To the Editor:

Re "Foreign Workers Heading Home," March 9, "A Hiring Bind for Foreigners and Banks," March 10, and "Obama's Trade Agenda," March 11:

The economic crisis is worrisome, but lowering the blinds and shutting ourselves off from the global economy won't help. We only harm ourselves by closing ourselves off from foreign talent. When we get the best minds in the room and let the best ideas and strongest skills flourish, that's good for our competitiveness and our ability to innovate – and it's good for job creation too. And there are long-term consequences, too, to shunning foreign workers now. If talented people in other countries get the message that we don't want them for our companies, they'll be reluctant to come to our universities for study. And that will be a huge loss, not only for our schools and our economy, but for our relationships in the world.

Marlene M. Johnson
Executive Director & CEO
NAFSA: Association of International Educators