Immigration Facts and Myths: RTVI Held Immigration Roundtable in New York

Who are they - "Russian-speaking Americans"? As immigrants from the former Soviet Union, many of them have preserved their legacy - ironically, in the very heart of capitalism. But the following question remains: why is the Brighton Beach area, a symbol for Russian-speaking America, radically different from the new wave of immigrants who come from modern Russia and the former Soviet republics? And why do the majority of Russian-speaking people living in Brooklyn support presidential candidates from the Republican Party?

Photo: RTVi

These were the main topics of an open discussion organized by RTVI channel in the series of talk show "On both sides". Leading immigration experts discussed the consequences of moving from one country to another. The guests of the talk show also expressed their views on the Russian-speaking community in the United States, on the difficulties encountered, and on the problems of cultural and language assimilation.

The speakers of the discussion were: Svetlana Komissaruk - social psychologist, professor at Columbia University; Sam Kliger - sociologist, director of the Russian section of the American Jewish Committee; Alexander Genis - writer and radio host; Elizaveta Osetinskaya is the founder of the Internet publication The Bell and co-founder and chief executive officer of Systematic Alpha Management Peter Kambolin.

The discussion was moderated by Ekaterina Kotrikadze, director of the New York studio RTVI, and Alexey Pivovarov, editor-in-chief of RTVI.

Photo: RTVi

Ekaterina Kotrikadze: “There are over a thousand old and new jokes about immigrants from Russia who live in the Brighton Beach area. Everywhere stereotypes. It was really interesting and useful to let people speak. We listened not only to the assessments of experts, but also to the immigrants themselves, and, very importantly, they were bright representatives of different generations. ”

Photo: RTVi

Alexey Pivovarov: “Over the past 20 years, we have witnessed dramatic changes in the nature of former Soviet immigration to America. Currently, borders are largely open, and there are no obstacles to immigrants communicating with their relatives and friends who have returned home. The term "immigrant" itself cannot be applied universally at the moment, since many already prefer to identify themselves as "US citizens" or as "global citizens." At the same time, a new wave of political immigration from Russia is growing. An estimated 2000 million people have fled the country since Putin came to power in 2. It was very interesting to discuss the differences between these people and the more “classic” immigrants of yesteryear. Thanks to its unique position as the leading Russian-language channel outside Russia, RTVI is able to provide an ideal forum for such discussions, and we look forward to continuing our discussions in the future.”

This time, the discussion also touched upon immigration changes within the framework of the current administration. Among the honorary participants were well-known immigration lawyers Irina Matiychenko, Irina Olevskaya and Natalia Samus. In addition to presenting their points of view on the topics discussed, they helped answer more practical questions related to immigration, for example, how to choose the right path for US citizenship.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How to come to New York without knowledge of English and build a career in four years and live in Manhattan

How do Russians help their emigration

Why immigrants leave America

'I will never Americanize': a Russian musician spoke about life in the USA

How to sell yourself in America: Russian woman on moving to San Francisco and the secrets of building a business

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.