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Posted by Biker on June 26, 2001 at 12:05:13:
In Reply to: KATERYNA WENT AWAY posted by Zapadenecj on June 25, 2001 at 15:27:20:
: I don't know about other people, but I am truly glad for her if at least 50% of what she's told about herself is true. And, if she lied, I am sorry for her. But, oh well, you never know...
I understand your doubts, but you have them only because you are here for a short time. I don’t remember exactly how did you get here.
Those who live in America know that she told the truth. You won’t believe how successful immigrants are here. I mean all of them, not only those from Ukraine. Except may be Mexicans. And ours are among the best.
Do you want to know why? Because they are not spoiled, not afraid of doing any job and are highly motivated. Those who were not - usually stay home. Of cause I did not mean that Ukrainians who still live in their country are no good. Not at all for God sake! People have different reasons to stay home, sometimes really noble ones; sometime they just are not able to immigrate. I am only trying to say that those who came here have an attitude. It does not mean that they are all good, certainly. Different, like everybody. But it’s a pleasure to watch how in couple of years after coming here they leave average Americans far behind. Also sooner or later they all become programmers somehow even if they never saw live computer before and have no high education. They take computer classes and – there you are! Of cause if they are not medical doctors, Ph.D. (kandidat nauk) or not run their own business. So 90% of our people are programmers and it is very highly paid profession, only medical doctors get more. Even lawyers don’t. You have to be a well-known lawyer in order to make a good profit. If you are not a good one or just started your career – forget about money.
As far as Katerina stays in the US for a long time, she is probably a programmer and after so many years her salary must be approximately $100,000. For your information the average income for the American family of four with two working members is $45,000.
Also 90% of programmers are contractors, working for the US government. So she was honest about this too. Of cause I may talk only about New York- New Jersey - Massachusetts area which I know well.
May be in Indiana is different. But most of our people live on the cost – either east or west. Also I don’t know every single person in America, but I have very close relationship with the “Soviet” community and may say for at least couple of hundred people I have connections with. And this already sounds like statistics.
Are you satisfied?
P.S. I forgot about something important. I’m talking now about those, who immigrated during the Soviet era. The life in the Ukraine was bearable then. So people were leaving the country not because of the difficult economic situation. They had other reasons for sure. They lost their Ukrainian citizenship, left behind everything they gained, working for years and went to nowhere, having only $90 per person. That was all they where allowed to take with them. Those people knew what they did, they new how to straggle. Others who came later with the money they got for selling their apartments are more relaxed and less successful. Including me, unfortunately. But I’m a lazy guy anyway. Most of the time I’m riding my bike. So I don’t think it would help much if I would come earlier. I would probably take a ride from Main to New Mexico, just to do something with too much of free time.
Biker.
Well, looks like I talk too much today...