Page 8 - Pakistan Link - October 20, 2023

P8 - PAKISTAN LINK - OCTOBER 20, 2023 OPINION
n By Riaz Haq US Census Update: Pakistani-Americans' Average
California
he average annual household Annual Household Earnings Estimated at $150,000

earnings of Pakistani-Amer-
Ticans are $149,178, accord-
ing to the latest update issued by the
United States Census
Bureau for 2022. The
update estimates the
median income of
132,958 Pakistani-
American households
at $106,281.
Average is calculated by adding up India and Pakistan among top 10
all incomes and dividing it by total countries receiving US Immigrant vi-
number of households. Median in- sas - Visual Capitalist
come level divides the top 50% of fami-
lies from the bottom 50%. It shows nation the second largest source of
that Pakistani-American household As of 2019, there were 35,000 Paki- South Asian Americans Households - US Census Update 2022 medical doctors in America. Pakistan
incomes are roughly at par with the stan-born STEM workers in the Unit- produced 157,102 STEM graduates last
Asian-American households' median ed States, according to the American Immigration Council. They included increased by 44.5 percent, from 7.5 year, putting it among the world's top
of $104,646 and average of $149,363. Immigration Council. They included information technologists, software million to more than 10.8 million, ac- dozen or so countries. About 43,000
The highest income ethnic group in information technologists, software cording to the American Immigration of these graduates are in information
the US is of Asian Indian households developers, engineers and scientists. Council. technology (IT).
with a median of $152,341 and average These figures do not include medical India topped the top 10 list of Every year, applicants sponsored
of $197,732. Asians are significantly doctors and healthcare workers – Il- foreign-born STEM workers with by Indian body shops claim the lion's
richer than Whites (mean $78,636, lustration Dawn.Com 721,000, followed by China (273,000), share of H1B visas. In 2022, Indians
average $112,415) and African Ameri- Mexico (119,000), Vietnam (100,000), received 166,384 new H1B visas, ac-
cans (mean $52,238, average $76,888). Technology, Engineering and Technol- Philippines (87,000), South Korea counting for nearly three quarters of
The word "alone" in the labels in the ogy) fields where incomes are gener- (64,000), Canada (56,000), Taiwan all such visas issued by the US govern-
following table excludes mixed race ally much higher than in other occu- (53,000), Russia (45,000) and Pakistan ment. The figures reported as India IT
(35,000). Enormous number of Indian
STEM workers in the United States can
at least partly be attributed to the fact
that India's "body shops" have mas-
tered the art of gaming the US tempo-
rary work visa system. Last year, Indian
Doctor brain drain - Statista nationals sponsored by "body shops"
like Cognizant, Infosys and TCS re-
developers, engineers and scientists. ceived 166,384 H1B visas for work in
These figures do not include medical the United States. By comparison, only
doctors and healthcare workers. 1,107 Pakistanis were granted H1B vi-
Foreign-born workers make up sas in Fiscal Year 2022. In addition to
a growing share of America's STEM H1B work visas, 9,300 Indian nationals H1B Visas issued in Pakistan - Visa-
workforce. As of 2019, foreign-born and 7,200 Pakistani nationals received grader.Com
workers made up almost a quarter of immigrant visas to settle in the United
Foreign-born STEM workers in America - American Immigration Council all STEM workers in the country. This States as permanent residents in 2021. exports are in fact the wages earned by
is a significant increase from 2000, In addition to 35,000 Pakistan- millions of Indian H1B workers in the
households. pations. when just 16.4% of the country’s STEM born STEM workers, there were 12,454 United States.
Asians, including Chinese/Taiwan- As of 2019, there were 35,000 Paki- workforce was foreign-born. Between Pakistan-born and Pakistan-trained (Riaz Haq is a Silicon Valley-based
ese, Indians and Pakistanis, tend to stan-born STEM workers in the Unit- 2000 and 2019, the overall number of medical doctors practicing in the Pakistani-American analyst and
be concentrated in STEM (Science, ed States, according to the American STEM workers in the United States United States, making the South Asian writer. He blogs at www.riazhaq.com)

n By Zubeida Mustafa Haziq-ul-Khairi death earlier this month went practically unno- Sahib for a session, he readily agreed to come and
Karachi, Pakistan ticed. He had his own law practice, became prin- speak to the children as an author. Here he nar-
cipal of S.M. Law College, a judge of the Sindh rated the story about the crows. It was interesting
ore than 91 years ago a child was born High Court, Sindh’s ombudsman, member of the and ended with an account of how the crows got
to an enlightened and highly literary Council of Islamic Ideology and the chief justice together to save one of their mates who was in
Mfamily. He himself grew up to make a of the Federal Shariat Court. Above all, he was a trouble. He had much to say about the unsightly
worthy contribution to society as a public intel- good man who didn’t politicize his role as a judge crows and their quality of flocking together in self-
lectual. Apart from his inherited love for Urdu for cheap popularity. defense. Children learnt that looks do not matter.
literature, he also loved the profession he had I saw Khairi Sahib from close quarters in his It is one’s character that makes a difference.
chosen to enter, namely, law. role as speaker of the Hamdard Shura (Karachi). Another story in his book he sent me was the
Justice Haziq-ul-Khairi, as he came to be Hakim Saeed had personally appointed him to dilemma of identity that a man faced when an-
known — but Khairi Sahib to me and many this position in 1994. A meeting of the shura is other person’s brain was transplanted in his head.
others — was not one of those members of the held once a month in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad Obviously, SIUT’s work in transplantation had
judiciary who come and go without making an and Peshawar. He conducted the meetings with given him ideas.
impact. He was a man of principles, reminding us dignity and grace. He demonstrated on these oc- Khairi Sahib would quote his father when ex-
that a judge should not be heard in public if he is casions the immense respect for women that was pressing his concern for the future of the country:
to be seen as impartial. his inheritance by virtue of his being the grand- “We did not make Pakistan for ourselves but for
I learnt more about him when I attended a son of Allama Rashid-ul-Khairi, the social re- the future generations so that they could live in
hearing of the Federal Shariat Court when he former who founded three magazines for women peace, dignity and solidarity.” (This is quoted in
was its chief justice in 2009. A petition had been — Ismat still survives. his memoirs Jagtay Lamhay)
filed challenging the Transplantation of Human For him education and language, especially Urdu, For him education and language, especially These are the values he stood for. An avid
Organs and Tissues Ordinance, 2007, as being were of great importance - Wikimedia Commons Urdu, were of great importance. Frequently, he reader of books, American, European, Russian,
un-Islamic. Some unscrupulous surgeons were invited me to be the guest speaker at these ses- and of course, our own, Khairi Sahib appreciated
unabashedly operating an ‘organ bazaar’ and pur- one that would open the doors to ‘ijtihad’ (logical sions and he proved to be a staunch supporter good literature and would say: “Good literature
chasing organs from impoverished villagers to interpretation of an Islamic law by consensus). of my point of view when the argument became imbues people with high values while protect-
graft them at a fabulous price in the rich, many Later on, it was my privilege to meet justice heated. ing them from rigid attitudes that drive society
of whom came from abroad. After hearing the Khairi and even get to know him enough to en- His interest in the youth was remarkable. He towards discord … good literature drives away
parties and consulting Islamic law experts, Justice joy his company. Behind the grim exterior, was wrote stories and plays for children which were bigotry and prejudice so that people can breathe
Khairi decided that under the law, a person is not a man with a kindly heart and a sense of humor gripping. What was unique about him was his in an environment of freedom.”
asked to save another person’s life by endangering that made him a lively conversationalist. So unas- skill in internalizing his diverse experiences to Now I know that my phone will never ring
his own. Therefore, any sale or purchase of any- suming was he in his demeanor that many failed interweave them and produce fascinating stories. with a solemn voice saying at the other end: “Aaj
body’s organ would amount to violating this dic- to recognize his greatness. Once when Baela Jamil, founder of the Children’s mein nay aap ka mazmoon parha aur … (Today I
tum. The judgement was widely hailed as a great In today’s age of publicity, it is sad that his Literature Festival, requested me to invite Khairi read your column, and …) RIP Khairi Sahib.
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