On Immigrants, Refugees and ICT

GettyImages-migrants-with-phones.jpg.653x0_q80_crop-smartOver on Global Wire Associates’ blog this week, we have a post about how technology is support the recent influx of Syrian and Latin American migrants entering eastern Europe and the United States, respectively.  Our blog is designed “to provide thoughtful coverage and commentary on the politics of technology and social innovation.” In the last couple of days we have received a barrage of emails, criticizing us for “promoting a pro-immigration agenda.”  Global Wire Associates doesn’t have an official position on the very complex issue of immigration; the point was to showcase how apps and coding are being used by migrants.

But I guess many of you didn’t view it that way.  So I decided to publish a couple of the emails we received so far here. Most of them were about the American immigration debate.  I withheld their their names and email addresses.

“I do not understand why you all are telling illegals how to enter this country illegally.  This is very irresponsible and your blog should be shut down!”

“Germany is being overrun by these Syrians.  I don’t care for teaching them how to code.  They and [Angela] Merkel must go!”

Again, this is just the opinions of others and we didn’t take any specific policy position here.  Many of them complained that illegal immigrants were taking jobs from natural born citizens.  One of the points we brought up in the post was about Refugees on Rails, a nonprofit that teaches refugees how to code, which is a useful technical skill needed in today’s job market.  Despite complaints from anti-immigration advocates, in this case, refugees who are properly trained are taking jobs that are not being filled by native citizens.  

As in the United States, European countries have a severe shortage of people pursuing ICT careers.  A report shows that Europe will have 800,000 ICT jobs unfilled by 2020 if nothing is done to increase the number of workers, and most of these digital skills deficits are seen in poorer eastern European countries.  Programs like Refugees on Rails can actually jumpstart the economy with technologists who are eager to work in their new home countries.

This is a slightly different issue in the United States, where most undocumented immigrants tend to work in under-the-table jobs in the agricultural and janitorial sectors – again, jobs most U.S. citizens don’t want to do.  The reality is that there are over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, and they are not all going to be shipped back to their home countries, despite whatever Donald Trump says.  Maybe there should also be something similar to Refugees on Rails in this country for immigrants who want to work legally in an in-demand ICT field that pays a living wage.   

I guess I will get negative emails for saying this too.  But before you email me, please tell me if you have a better solution for the immigration crisis and the economy.

What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur

business planA couple of weeks ago I was invited to speak to a group of college-bound high school seniors who are interested in pursuing careers as entrepreneurs. The common questions from them were “Do I need to go to business school” and “What does it take to be an entrepreneur.”

Regarding business school, this depends on many factors. However, you don’t need an MBA to start a business. I didn’t go to business school; my college background and my main career has been in journalism. Some of the greatest entrepreneurs like Sir Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates didn’t go to business school either. Actually all of them dropped out of high school or college.

Most of the core competencies needed to run a business are not going to be taught in a business school. Entrepreneurship is a field you have to “learn from doing.” For example, if you want to run your own restaurant, it be a good idea to work in one or two or ten restaurants to get firsthand experience first. You would need to know how to do every job in the restaurant to have a well-rounded experience – waiter, cook, janitor, maitre’d, dishwasher, busboy etc.

When I started thinking about starting a business, I got jobs and internships working for other entrepreneurs to gain experience and mentorship support. When I first started freelancing as a journalist and getting Global Wire Associates off the ground, in the beginning I had to learn how to do all my own accounting, marketing and other administrative work by myself because it was only me doing it. Having that well-rounded experience taught me how to run my businesses better for all angles.

Other skills you need:

Patience: Successful businesses don’t happen overnight. It was probably a good two or three years into Global Wire Associates’ operation before I started making a comfortable income. It takes time to build a client base and grow trust the right way.

Resourcefulness: Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to or as planned. This is why you need to have a Plan B, C, D, E, F and G. You always have to anticipated the worst can happen in a situation, be creative and think about an alternative solution.

Be Proactive: Successful entrepreneurs and successful people in general are the ones who take initiative to make things happen. Don’t wait around for others to do something you can do yourself.

Networking Skills: Always find an opportunity to sell your business to others, whether you are at a conference or a supermarket. While there are many tools for online marketing, It is always more valuable to do face-to-face interaction and have a business card to share.

Willing to try new things: Businesses have to evolve with the times and trends to stay relevant with customers. It is always good to try new ideas in your business to challenge yourself. Sometimes it can be risky, but you never know how risky it is until you try it. Even if the new idea doesn’t work, at least you can say you tried it.

Hard work: Entrepreneurship is not a 9-5 job. Expect to work long hours and sacrifice some time in your personal and family life, especially at the beginning.

Reward Supporters: Bring on people into your company who support you and your dreams and return the support. Most of the people I started Global Wire Associates with still work for me because they support me and I support them.

Now this is not to say that you shouldn’t go to business school. If you are planning on going back to school, here are some things to think about:

Cost: College is very expensive these days. Are you willing to spend the money if you have it? If you don’t have the money, are you willing to take out the loans? How are you going to pay back the loans after graduation? You might have to get a part time job since your business might take a while to generate income.

What type of business school: There are difference types of business schools based on what type of business you would like to pursue. For example, if I wanted to go to business school, I would go to one that specializes in international business, with a focus on development economics.

What you will get out of it: Does the school have a good mentorship program? What kind of access do you have to professors and how experienced are they to help you? What can you get out of the network of graduates?

A lot of things to think about to be an entrepreneur!

Revolutionary Graphic Design 101: Emory Douglas

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emory douglasI am a huge fan of Emory Douglas, a world-renowned graphic designer and former minister of culture for the Black Panther Party.  He was the art director of the group’s newspaper, The Black Panther.  Under his 12-year leadership, he perfectly visualized this revolutionary movement in the black community.  His designs not only uplifted the conscience of African-Americans, but also inspired other revolutionaries of color around the world.

What makes his art so great is that it is still very relevant today, as police brutality continues to be a big concern for many African-Americans.  So it kind of came as a shock to me when I recently met up with a couple of young, black artists who were involved in the Black Lives Matter movement who said they had never heard of Douglas!

This is a man everyone – artists, graphic designers, activists and human beings in general – should know about.  Here are a couple of videos about him.

Libraries Are The New Makerspaces

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legosMaker education is a new term that has popped up a lot recently in educational circles. Creating spaces for students to have hands-on learning teaches them skills that they might not find in a traditional classroom, like being innovative and thinking outside the box. Also, maker education can gear students towards careers in design, engineering, math, media and research. Most importantly students develop vital problem solving skills that are useful in any career they choose in the future.

Recently, I had a discussion with my friend Chris, who is a high school computer science teacher at a private school. He told me that his school has turned the library into a dedicated makerspace, where students can put their knowledge to work with coding and robotics.

“My principal became worried that less students were using the library to borrow books, since they can do all their research on their iPhones and download books,” Chris said. “This way we are reinventing what the library can be and serve our students in a more relevant way. The kids are actually more excited to go to the library now because they know they can create something cool there.”

Mind you, Chris works for an elite private school with high tuition, so the school can afford to create a full-time makerspace, unlike many public schools around the country that are lucky if they even have books in their libraries. This made me think about how makerspaces would fit into the context of public community libraries. Now I am not advocating that libraries should completely convert themselves into makerspaces, but like school libraries, public libraries are looking to stay relevant in the digital age. Circulation is down in many community libraries as more people choose Amazon and Wikipedia for books and research, respectively.

Recently, my local library started a LEGO club for kids. I see the final products the kids make, and they are pretty awesome! I don’t think makerspaces are going to completely replace libraries, but rather, work together in the same space with the common goal of providing a quality learning experience.
Here’s why I think this way:

Libraries and makerspaces are resourceful: Students have access to both print and digital books, research materials and other resources that are not usually accessible, even on the Internet. Likewise, makerspaces provide access to physical materials that would otherwise be too expensive for an individual to purchase on their own. For example, my library purchased several orders of the LEGO Creative Suite, which totaled over $400. They are free to use for participants in the LEGO club. Many of the kids come from low to middle income households, and making such a purchase would be inaccessible for many of them.

Blending interdisciplinary education: Libraries are full of books that span a wide variety of academic subject matters and contribute to idea creation which supports innovation in makerspaces. Alternatively, students experimenting in makerspaces will want to use the resources in the library. Many of the kids in the LEGO club look at books in the library about engineering and robotics design.

Librarians and Maker Educators lead on innovation: Both of them can be more flexible than traditional teachers in setting up customized workshops, mentorship and guidance based on specific learning needs. The head librarian at my local library played a big role in setting up the LEGO club and picking out books and materials with the maker educator for the kids.

Sense of community: Libraries are naturally informal gathering spaces for community members. Users don’t just come to borrow books, they also attend a wide variety of programming, like book clubs and children’s events. They are also social equalizers. No matter what background, race, age, gender or income, every and anyone can go to a library and gain knowledge. Makerspaces work in the same way.

It’s important to find that perfect balance between public libraries and makerspaces and how they can better serve their communities as this discussion continues in the near future.

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