Soon I hope to post the views of a good friend who has a unique perspective on this issue.

My wife gets bombarded with scientist applications from many different developing nations…most of them had no luck getting to the US, so they are trying Europe in the hope that a couple years here will give them a better chance to get to the US.

I wouldnt be too worried about reverse brain drain.

I know that the Chinese government only wants the top 10% of chinese scientists to return to China. They would be more than happy for the rest to never come back.

You bring up another consideration when deciding to move (permanently) abroad: security.

But, for example, for a Chinese-American, or Indian American, with the knowledge of the lay of the land, cultural background, perhaps family already there and many times being able to physically assimilate with the local population it may be a different story.
Amf

On the other hand, this whole idea of the American Dream, where it is, and attitudes of old-timers (like myself) is very subjective, personal and individualized.

I can see where a parent or grandparent who fled the old Soviet Union or the old China and who hasn’t been back there could be a little nervous about their kid or grand-kid going back there — especially permanently.

In my case, I do go back and forth freely and frequently to the Netherlands and Ecuador, and when younger I worked for extended periods of times in several countries abroad, and enjoyed it. If my kids would decide to move permanently abroad, or course I would hate that, but mostly for sentimental reasons.

I have a good friend from India who has given me some feedback on the story and I hope to post that shorty.

Of the coastal cities mentioned, only one is under the mainland’s complete rule and they have suffered for it. Russia would seem to be another iffy situation. Thirty years ago after the fall of the USSR, my spouse and I had hoped to do computer work in Russia (my spouse’s ancestors’ homeland), but the kidnapping of foreigners then occuring scared us off.

All of these places can be a great place to make a fortune – or lose everything – as has always been the case.

Jason’s father however was fleeing a China of another time and place, just as some of our naturalized US citizen Cubano brothers and sisters want not to have their children go to Cuba, for the family left during a time that was bad for the parents. Yet Dorian, amongst my people on both sides, immigrants and refugees, some who immigrated went back to the Old Country… for opportunity, or because they missed their remnant families, all had become naturalized US citizens, and some just went back and forth, back and forth. They did not want their children going to the old country when it was under Stalin’s rule, for they knew they might be killed. Some did not want any family on the other side going back to Mexico as long as Salenas ruled. But even in the old country, men especially, left the families to go ten miles or 10,000 miles away for work. I’m not sure, but think the nyt take is too breathless. Since NONimmigrant young adults who are US citizens routinely go work in China, Japan, Bangladesh, Phillipines, India etc, I’m not sure it is different if an immigrant’s kid does likewise. It is very United Statesian to do so. And not sure they’re ‘leaving the american dream’… it sound just like the American dream really. Only updated.