philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Silicon Valley’s ‘Darkest’ Immigration Secret Hits U.S. Cinemas

A feature film about the difficulties facing an Indian temporary work-visa holder waiting for permanent residency will be screened in 25 U.S. cinemas on Friday, with backing from Silicon Valley investors, fueling an already heated immigration debate.

The film, “For Here or To Go?” was written and produced by San Francisco-based Rishi Bhilawadikar, 33, one of the estimated million-plus H-1B visa holders in the country. The title is a play on the ubiquitous question at coffee shops and fast-food outlets that often flummoxes new arrivals.

As a “temp worker,” Pandit is unable to make long-term life decisions like founding a company, buying a home or starting a family.

“It’s the untold story of hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants who drive a nice-enough car but avoid buying expensive furniture for fear of having to leave it all behind,” said Bhilawadikar. “I set about making this film to humanize my story and the story of a million others like me.”

Workers who want to gain permanent residence are treated like indentured labor, said Vivek Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. If they change jobs or take a promotion, they lose their turn in line, so they end up doing menial jobs during the most productive years of their lives, he said.

See the full story here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-31/silicon-valley-s-darkest-immigration-secret-hits-u-s-cinemas