CORNWELL@IUBACS.BITNET (Rubbles? no, WRUBEL) (02/12/90)
first let me say that this raving reflects utter euphoria over
the release today of Nelson mandela! Anyone anywhere who has
ever spoken out about governmental injustice can feel proud of
therole international pressure played in mandela's release. This
trick now of course is to keep construcitve pressure to do away
with apartheid, not just to free the chief martyr.
AnywayDmitry's posting about the Chinese students raises
interesting questions. My experience has been that students from
the PRC work REALLY hard, ar by NO means all the scions of party
hackdom, and represent a WIDE spectrum of views about political
issues. Also IU solves the English problem by having VERY strict
English-language-testing and its own curriculum of intensive
courses. People who fail the tests are REQAUIRED to attain a
certain level of English proficiency before they can proceed with
their degree work, no matter what they came here for.
All this is kind of separate from the Chinese students'
issues for a couple reasons. I can EASILy see George helping his
old Chinese buddies save face and avoid a brain drain,
especially since Congress has made public outrage so resoundingly
clear. George's policy is also consistent with the Republican
for "constructve engagement" with odious regimes that are
freidnly to Republican interests AND with the govt's DEEP
affection for "case-by-case treatment of political asylum claims.
(warning, flame about Central Americacoming on!) Last
time I checked, approval rates for political asylum applications
varied widely from around 80% for poles and East Bloc migrants to
around 40% for nicaraguansato less that TWO percentfor people
fromGuatemala or ElSalvador! I'd be the first to GUESS that
these figures may have changed A BIT recently. Political reforms
in the East Bloc PROBABLY mean more people from there are
considered "economic migrants" these days, but my point stands:
political asylum requests are approved VERY selectively and these
approvals DO NOT necessarily correspond to obvious manifestations
of political disorder in one's homeland.
So are my colleagues from the PRC happy to be lumped into
limbo? NO! Do I aprove of how Uncle Sam makes these decisions?
NO! Do i expect better out of Uncle Sam? WELLL, I think more
consistent international pressure MIGHT help, but uncle same
seems ONLY to understand dollars and cents, and FIRM consisten
pressure!
DC