Student Cultural Exchange in the USA

[keelec]

Hello,

I just met a new Russian Friend online

Apparently she is here in the USA on a J-1 Student Visa (I think) for 2 months.

She is working in a kitchen somewhere, 15 hour days, 6 days a week... (90 hr weeks). So much for a "cultural experience".

Her compensation is $550 / month ($1100 for 2 months).

I presume that her "employeer" has paid for her flight, and room&board.....

Let's see... A few calculations:
Federal Minimum Wage:
$5.15 / hr x 40 hrs / week = $206 / week
$7.725 / hr x 50 hrs / week = $386.25 / week (OT)
---------------------------------------------------
Total: $592.25 / week

Times 9 weeks (for 2 months).... $5330.25 for 2 months.

So, it sounds like her wages are about $4230 short for her 2 months sojourn.... It must include a suite at the Hilton.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Something just leaves a BAD Taste in my mouth.


:angry: :angry:


----- Clifford -----

[warpedbored]

Hello,

 

I just met a new Russian Friend online 

 

Apparently she is here in the USA on a J-1 Student Visa (I think) for 2 months.

 

She is working in a kitchen somewhere, 15 hour days, 6 days a week... (90 hr weeks).  So much for a "cultural experience".

 

Her compensation is $550 / month ($1100 for 2 months).

 

I presume that her "employeer" has paid for her flight, and room&board..... 

 

Let's see...  A few calculations:

Federal Minimum Wage:

$5.15 / hr x 40 hrs / week = $206 / week

$7.725 / hr x 50 hrs / week = $386.25 / week (OT)

---------------------------------------------------

Total:                                $592.25 / week

 

Times 9 weeks (for 2 months).... $5330.25 for 2 months.

 

So, it sounds like her wages are about $4230 short for her 2 months sojourn.... It must include a suite at the Hilton.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

 

Something just leaves a BAD Taste in my mouth.

 

     

     

 

----- Clifford -----

135602[/snapback]

Hi Clifford!! Glad to see you came by to visit. Dont be such a stranger. Many things have changed since you been around. We have new toys to play with and new tech problems to solve. I bet we could use someone with your puter know how to help Jeff figure out a Chinese language glitch in our new Chinese forum. Oh and congrats on the new friend and I know you don't need us to tell you to be careful.

[keelec]

Hi Clifford!! Glad to see you came by to visit.  Dont be such a stranger.  Many things have changed since you been around.  We have new toys to play with and new tech problems to solve.  I bet we could use someone with your puter know how to help Jeff figure out a Chinese language glitch in  our new Chinese forum. Oh and congrats on the new friend and I know you don't need us to tell you to be careful.

135655[/snapback]

Hello Carl,

 

I like your picture. You and Bing look happy.

 

It just makes me upset that anybody would bring these "students" into the USA, then work them like dogs and pay them $1.43 / hr. Somewhere something has to be wrong.

 

I could understand a company who would bring in foreign "students", Work 6 hr days, 5 day weeks, setup English and American History Classes in the afternoons, and organized tours on the weekends.... in the end only paying some "mad money".

 

But, whoever this employeer is, he is just bringing in foreign students for the sole purpose of taking advantage of them.

 

 

----- Clifford -----

[HanLi]

This is sickening, this guy should be reported and punished.

[Dan R]

Sounds like one of those operations that provide house servants in exchange for room and board and a service fee. Is this a commercial kitchen? Do you mean a restaurant?

 

Investigation is very costly and the government must build a defendable case (like we have to do with GUZ) so they rarely pursue them. THere are situations like this from many countries. Even legals who don't speak English and work for their own country's business owners often are trapped in less than half wages or tip only jobs (restaurants and sex trade are big for this). The worker has often paid to get here to do this work. With the shift to border security that ties up resources I have seen little interest by Immigration and the locals avoid confronting this. I've tried Labor Board, IRS, Insurance Commission (no worker's comp) Without hard evidence to begin with they aren't interested. It continues with participation from the workers because it gives poor people or socially shunned (like single mothers) an opportunity. Taiwan has taken the position that it is wrong but wont prosecute the organizers. SEA and Mideast countries view it as serving the poor and rich.

[warpedbored]

I have seen it happen to legal immigrants as well. Some of the Chinese people who come here legally often have a hard time finding employment due to language skills. Having no place to turn but the Chinese restaurant industry they are taken advantage of by the restaurant owners. One friend of mine's wife was offered two different jobs here in Portland. She was K-1 and had her green card yet one restaurant wanted to pay her 3 dollars an hour under the table and the other one wanted to pay her 1100 a month working 11 hour days six days a week.

[oregonknl]

Hey Clifford ~!

 

Welcome back!

 

--- Kim

[kaigaorui]

I am glad I am not alone in sentiment in this apparent farce. I also know of workers in chinese restaurants who make little to nothing and work 6 days a week, 11 to 12 hours a day with a meager 20 minute dinner break.

 

Waiters get a salary of $240 a week and are expected to make it up in tips.

[HanLi]

This really fries my bacon........