Immigrant, Inc. Book Launch Party

What: A book launch party

Why: To celebrate a book that will change the way America looks at immigrants

When: 6 pm, Monday, December 7

Immigrants and their friends from throughout Northeast Ohio will gather at an Ohio City nightclub Monday, December 7, to welcome a book that tells their success story.

Richard Herman and Robert Smith will team up with their publisher, John Wiley & Sons, to celebrate the launch of Immigrant Inc. -- Why Immigrant Entrepreneurs Are Driving the New Economy (and how they will save the American worker).

The book highlights the accomplishments of immigrant entrepreneurs across the country, including several business founders in Northeast Ohio, as it reveals the astonishing success of immigrants in the New Economy and their power to create jobs, new industries, and to lift communities.

India's Businessworld magazine finds that Immigrant, Inc. breaks new ground:

The book goes beyond praising talented immigrants to explore their mindset, cultural specificities and their high level of determination and innovative thinking. The book also touches upon the issue of anti-immigration attitudes, in turn, suggesting how Americans need to tap their ‘inner immigrant’ to succeed.

Sponsors of the launch party include Huntington Bank, the high-tech trade group TiE Ohio, and the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of Ohio. More than three dozen globally-minded civic and business groups have signed on as co-sponsors. (See attached flyer, also posted at http://www.scribd.com/doc/22678284/Flyer-Book-Launch-party-6-pm-December-7.)

“The authors’ passion comes through in this fantastic book that points to the power and importance of intercultural partnerships in a global economy,” says Connie Atkins, executive director of the Consortium of African American Organizations, which is co-sponsoring the launch party.

"This book, filled with stirring stories testifying to the ongoing power of the American Dream as a magnet, challenges us all to build an inclusive culture of welcome, access, opportunity and empowerment,” said Leonard M. Calabrese, president of Catholic Community Connection, another co-sponsor.

Lute Harmon, Sr., publisher of Inside Business and other magazines calls Immigrant, Inc. a "must-read." http://tiny.cc/1pSBz

The party runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at Speakeasy, a new nightclub beneath Bier Markt, at 1948 W. 25^th Street, across from the West Side Market. Partygoers will enjoy free appetizers and a cash bar. Copies of Immigrant, Inc. will be available for sale and for author signings.

Herman, an immigration lawyer, founded the Cleveland law firm of Richard T. Herman & Associates. Smith, a distinguished journalist, covers international cultures for The Plain Dealer.

To order their book beforehand, go to www.ImmigrantInc.com. To attend the book launch, please RSVP by emailing richard.t.herman@gmail.com. For more information, call 216-696-6170.

Interstate Talent Wars

Chris Briem (Null Space) sees an evolution of the Pittsburgh global brand in a Christian Science Monitor article. Again, Pittsburgh is shown in a positive light and the preferred myth celebrated in during the G-20 hype has taken root. Reinvented Pittsburgh is now a cliché. Solely my own speculation, but the groundwork is in place for substantially more in-migration. I still think there is a talent rush in the pipeline.

Actually, something else in the CSM piece about the urban archetypes of the "new economy" piqued my interest:

Demographics will drive change, too. Cities that have expensive housing may find themselves at a disadvantage in attracting young people. “We’re going to be facing what I call the third civil war – it’s going to be a war between cities and metro areas over where young people will settle, because we’re going to have to fill a lot of jobs,” says Barry Bluestone, an economist at Northeastern University in Boston.

Many of these young workers will be going to places where they sense a think-outside-the-box culture. “It’s hard to be a dynamic economy if you’re a culture that does not tolerate risk,” says Susannah Malarkey, who heads a trade group, the Technology Alliance, in Seattle.

First thing you should notice is that there is no mention of retaining young people. Cities that spend any bandwidth on plugging the brain drain will be on the losing side of the war for talent. It's a futile effort with very little (if any) upside.

The second point is the looming talent shortage. Everyone sees it coming, but the suggested coping strategies come up woefully short. I've yet to see any outside-the-box thinking when it concerning talent attraction. The usual suspects are recycling the same tired material and cities continue to eat it up.

Lastly, moving far away to an unfamiliar place is part of the risk culture. This talent will be the greatest prize, not the graduates who stay close to home. A relatively inert population will not be able to compete in the new economy. Attract brains or fail.

Brain Drain Texas

And you thought the brain drain was bad in Michigan:

Investing in our universities is investing in our future.

The development of more Tier One universities in Texas will give our brightest high school graduates more top-level choices for college educations in their home state, easing a brain drain of Texas young people to prestigious schools elsewhere.

If low taxes, small government and robust job creation won't keep talent from leaving, then what will? I recommend an internship program. That should plug the brain drain.

Flight Of The Kiwi

Concerning brain drain from OECD countries, New Zealand stands head and shoulders above the rest. The primary destination is Australia, where Kiwis can earn a greater return on their education. The home country is getting serious about luring these expatriates back:

Last night, the economic think tank the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) held a forum in Sydney called ''Flight of the Kiwi to Australia'' to discuss ways of reversing the trans-Tasman brain drain. The former Fairfax chief executive and All Black captain David Kirk, CIS policy analyst Luke Malpass, business broadcaster Andrew Patterson, and Dr Don Turkington from the New Zealand Government's regulatory responsibility taskforce, canvassed issues such as wage disparity, tax structures, streamlining Anzac business, career prospects and social and cultural changes.

The CIS exploits the wounded pride, laying the talent exodus at the feet of lousy economic policy. People wouldn't leave if the homeland prospects were relatively brighter. Tapping brain drain anxiety for political gain is a classic ruse. For another example, see the Empire State Exodus report.

Plugging the brain drain is a snipe hunt. However, catalyzing boomerang migration could work. Trying to attract talent is an even better idea. Some policy innovation from Detroit:

Monika Johnson is 20 and the Midwest Coordinator for the Roosevelt Institute. It's a student-run policy organization that put together a two-day event called Midwest Version 2.0. ...

... "Detroit has so many great opportunities and potential for change," Johnson said. "In fifty years, this could be a great city. It could rival Chicago. I would consider staying in Michigan if I had an opportunity to participate in Detroit's revitalization."

Detroit is New Zealand and Chicago is Australia. The money is in Chicago, but Detroit offers a unique opportunity. Detroit shouldn't try to catch up with Chicago. Instead, offer a viable alternative experience. Call home all Rust Belt refugees to rebuild the region, starting with Detroit. Ironically, the CIS sets the stage with the following snarky comment:

Maybe New Zealand suffers from the supposed generation Y complex—we want it all, we want it now, and we want it at no cost.

That describes the frontier mentality. The urban pioneer lifestyle appeals to this demographic. Chasing Chicago is foolish. That ship has sailed. But Chicago can't be all things to all people, either.

Recovery Pittsburgh

I'm locked out of my other blog while Blogger assesses whether or not I'm a spambot. I've become accustomed to posting twice-a-day and I have the itch to write. I'll circle back to Pittsburgh and how its coping with the Great Recession:

To form our list, we ranked the 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas--geographic entities that the U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines and uses in collecting statistics--in five categories: unemployment rate, GMP (a measure of the size of a city's economy), foreclosures, home prices and sales rates.

We ranked September unemployment rates (the most recent available by metro) using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; the percentage of a metro's homes in foreclosure with September data provided by RealtyTrac; and the change in GMP between the first and second quarter of 2009 from the Brookings Institution's MetroMonitor. We also included the second-quarter 2009 year-over-year change in Freddie Mac's ( FRE - news - people ) Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index--a measure of housing price inflation--and the average days on the market for properties currently on sale (to measure sales rates), using data from Zillow.com. We then averaged the scores for each measure to arrive at an overall ranking.

While there is no foolproof method for resisting recession, a common thread in thriving cities is an economy fed by multiple industries. Former Northeastern industrial hubs like Pittsburgh, and Rochester, N.Y., while they may not seem the likeliest models of economic health, have been able to supplement industrial sector decline with a boost from public-sector jobs that have pumped up the economy even as the private sector declined. They land in the fourth and seventh spot on our list, respectively.

The emerging theme is one of resilience, as opposed to the latest boomtown infatuation. Sustainable Pittsburgh is a great place to raise a family. Don't worry about bubbles popping or the other shoe dropping. What you see is what you get.

The humility grabbing a hold of the United States would seem to suit Pittsburgh, the economic tortoise outlasting the hare in Charlotte. Stranger for me is the pattern of recovery. The region of my youth (Appalachian Rust Belt) is, relatively speaking, thriving. This is the non-Midwestern part of America's manufacturing heartland.

Keep that in mind while reading Richard Longworth's challenge concerning Midwest studies:

I know that, all across the Midwest, good people are worrying about the same issues. They need help in thinking about these issues and where they fit into the Midwestern reality. If Midwesterners who are paid to think don't do this thinking, then it won't get done.

How might we rethink geographic regions in terms of globalization? Regions are dynamic, not static. Throw out the boundaries that no longer serve a purpose. Economic backwaters are easily defined. The Midwest has defied definition because of the heterogeneity. The migration from the rural South to the industrial North transformed both landscapes.

Regional studies is more anthropology than sociology. We're obsessing artifacts of a great civilization in decline. That's the definition of "Southern studies". Midwestern studies is yesterday's news.

Great Recession Geography: US Immigration

Migration can be both a lagging and leading economic indicator. A lagging example is the continued arrival of newcomers to recession ravaged cities such as Charlotte (NC) and Portland (OR). International migration tends to be more sensitive to shifting fortunes with the most geographically mobile riding the bow wave:

USAToday reports that more Americans are seeking work abroad than in the past. Although “the trend reverses a longtime pattern of far more foreign workers seeking jobs in the U.S.” sounds like an overstatement, there are signs that Americans are more willing to consider working abroad. The country’s largest staffing company, Manpower, says it has 500 clients seeking overseas work, compared a few dozen six months ago. And a recent survey of executives in the U.S. revealed that 54 percent would be likely to take a job in another country, compared to 37 percent in 2005. The top prospects? India, China, Brazil, Dubai, and Singapore.

That trend stood out to me as indicative of a globalization reset, but the entire Brookings narrative seems to be pushing the same conclusion. I doubt the abatement of the usual immigration patterns will last. I expect the expatriate community to continue to grow.

The best talent will be attracted to the core of globalization, which is shifting from the United States to the countries listed above. Concern about brain drain from America would be novel. This might further exacerbate the populist mood swing and result in a larger drag on what is sure to be slow growth. The impressive domestic geographic mobility will be increasingly global.

Talent Dividend Ohio

CEOs for Cities is in Columbus, Ohio to talk to the leadership there about the Talent Dividend. The policy recommendation is useful. Regions benefit economically from a greater concentration of brains. However, how to achieve that goal remains shrouded in mystery and myth:

ColumbusChamber CEO Ty Marsh, a participant in Wednesday’s discussions, said the importance of boosting the region’s talent pool stems from a growing desire among companies to set up shop in areas that can continue to produce viable job prospects.

“One of Columbus’ great assets has been the quality of its work force, but one of the opportunities and challenges of the new century is, ‘How do you attract them and how do you keep them?’ ” Marsh said.

Columbus would begin the effort, Marsh said, on strong footing with an internship pipeline with the state’s colleges and a better-than-average share of residents with four-year degrees.

The latest rage in fighting brain drain is a more effective (and well-funded) internship program. Allegedly, that's the reason for the Philadelphia Miracle. I took a snarky look at this talent retention strategy. Today, I'll take a more measured approach to revealing the folly.

I'll start with the usual hysterical fanfare:

Recent reports published by various entities including the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston show an alarming trend: The Greater Boston area is losing recent college graduates at a startling rate. The ability of an economic region to grow and thrive is largely due to these knowledge workers. The recent reports shed light on three distinct questions: Why are students engaged in Greater Boston higher education fleeing the state after graduation, where are they going, and what can be done to increase the retention rate within the region. This report seeks to provide answers to these questions.

Intern Bridge is the company behind this analysis. Surprisingly, there is cause for concern in Boston:

A separate analysis by William H. Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer, found that Dallas and Houston were attracting less-educated migrants and identified large brain drains from Detroit, St. Louis, Cleveland and, to a lesser extent, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and Boston.

Meanwhile, Atlanta; Seattle; Austin, Tex.; San Francisco; and Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C., were magnets for better-educated people who were relocating.

Furthermore, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston has suggested that internship programs could be an effective talent retention policy:

Still, contrary to the usual reasons offered to explain why individuals leave the Bay State, recent college graduates appear to be moving primarily to seek the best job opportunities. That suggests that states can take tangible steps to retain more recent college graduates.

One potential solution is to build stronger ties between colleges and local employers, to help graduates, particularly non-natives, learn about local job opportunities and form networks in the region. For example, the Colleges of Worcester Consortium in Massachusetts has expanded internship opportunities through an online regional database that students can tap into from any of the consortium’s 15 member institutions. Internships create a win-win-win situation, because they allow students to try out a job or firm, lower recruiting costs for employers, and enhance the reputation of a college or university.

There are a number of reasons why investing in internship programs is a good idea. But can it generate a talent dividend? I've been reading about the same line of thinking in Detroit at Generation Y Michigan. Michigan is engaged in its own internship efforts. Demographer Ken Darga brings some numbers to the discussion:

But Darga insists the problem is exaggerated. He says every state thinks it has a brain drain, but ignores the fact that migration rates for young people tend to be much higher than any other age group. Besides, he argues, the number of recent college graduates leaving has leveled out, and it’s a tiny percent of the total state population.

Greater Boston or Columbus or Detroit would have to retain a lot more college graduate to generate a 1% gain in the number of residents with a degree. Brain gain cities such as Atlanta; Seattle; Austin, Tex.; San Francisco; and Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C. aren't succeeding because they do a better job of keeping talent close to home.

Rust Belt cities are content to fight for table scraps. Columbus isn't talking about how to become a talent magnet. The primary initiative is to build a better dam. Thus, the brain gain game is over before it even gets started. I would add that no city or state is thinking about leveraging the migration trends that Darga describes. The only discussion I see is how to stop it.

Expatriate Economic Development

Regions invest considerable resources into human capital. That communities do little to nothing to reap some returns from talent that moves somewhere else is bizarre. On an international scale (hat tip Richard Herman), the opposite is true:

More than ever, diasporas — the "scattered seeds" most governments previously ignored and in some cases even maligned — are increasingly seen as agents of development.

Aware of this potential, some developing countries have established institutions to more systematically facilitate ties with their diasporas, defined here as emigrants and their descendants who have maintained strong sentimental and material links with their countries of origin.

Perhaps American sub-national governments are just behind the curve. That's still no excuse for ignoring best practices. Developing countries have already assumed most of the risk associated with a novel initiative. We needn't remake the wheel.

For communities heavily dependent upon eds and meds (such as Pittsburgh), a rethinking of out-migration is critical. Talent churn will only increase. The lack of policy innovation on this front is glaring, particularly for shrinking cities. A tuition tax? That's myopic. Pittsburgh can and should do better.

Florida Exodus: Where Will They Go?

I'm breaking with my November theme because I couldn't sit on this until December:

Rick Desrochers is leaving. And he's not coming back.

He and his wife are moving in with her parents in Michigan after the couple lost their jobs, their Hunter's Creek home to foreclosure, and everything else to bankruptcy. The trauma of going broke in the Sunshine State has convinced them that when the good times return to Orlando, they won't.

"I've talked to a lot of people who say they aren't coming back," said Desrochers, 39, who moved to Orlando nine years ago from Hilton Head, S.C.

Later this month, Rick and Connie Desrochers will join a migration out of Florida that began before the housing market collapsed and the recession kicked in. In 2009, more than 500,000 people like them will leave. And for the first time since World War II, Florida's population will actually shrink -- by about 60,000 residents, state demographers estimate.

Florida (a tax darling state for libertarians) is shrinking. The situation is so dire that some are moving to Michigan. Actually, the article isn't all doom and gloom. Experts predict that the trend will soon reverse itself.

I'm not so sure. Reading what the optimists are claiming, the state seems ready to repeat many of the mistakes made in the Rust Belt. A better quality of life in Florida, compared to Michigan, isn't a given. Prepare yourself for the return of the carpetbagger.