ImmigrationProf Blog

The Immigrant Roots of Our U.S. Olympians

I've gone down a deep, dark rabbit hole trying to determine the immigrant roots of our U.S. Olympians. It's hard to believe it, but I could not find anyone else on the internet who has taken this on. It's almost as if other folks don't think going through the biographies of each and every of the 594 athletes would be worth the effort. So, this morning, I started the Herculean task. Did I want to give up at C? Yes, yes I did. Did I also want to drop out at N? Surely. But I continued onwards for you, dear reader. So, enjoy the fruits of my research:

 

Naturalized U.S. Citizens

Joel Embiid (basketball). A naturalized US citizen from Cameroon.

Margherita Guzzi Vincenti (fencing) became a naturalized US citizen in 2019. She was born in Italy.

Weini Keltai (track and field) was granted asylum in the United States from Eritrea. She became a naturalized US citizen in 2021.

Leonard Korir (track and field) became a naturalized citizen in 2017. He was born in Kenya.

Maria Laborde (judo) defected from Cuba and became a naturalized US citizen in 2022.

Catarina Macario (soccer--bronze medalist) is a naturalized US citizen originally from Brazil. She is the first naturalized US citizen to play for the US senior women's team.

Abdihamid Nur (track and field) is a naturalized US citizen from Somalia.

Steffen Peters (equestrian--winner of one silver and two bronze medals) became a US citizen in 1992. He was born in Germany.

Aliaksei Shostak (Gymnastics) emigrated with his parents from Belarus.

Beiwen Zhang (badminton) is a naturalized US citizen from China. She naturalized in 2020.

 

First Generation (two immigrant parents)

Rai Benjamin (track and field--gold and silver medalist) competes in the 400m hurdles. He was born in the Bronx, New York, to Antiguan immigrants.

Sunny Choi (break dancing) was named by ESPN as "one of the 10 best B-girls in the world." Both of her parents emigrated from South Korea to the United States.

Hannes Daube (water polo). His mother hails from Germany and his father from New Zealand.

Jackie Dubrovich (fencing--gold medalist). Her parents emigrated to the US from Belarus.

Annette Echikunwoke (track and field). Her parents are both from Nigeria.

Amit Elor (wrestling). Her parents are from Israel.

Naomi Girma (soccer). Her parents are from Ethiopia.

Marcos Giron (tennis). Wikipedia reports that his parents are Argentinian and Ecuadorian, but I can find no additional reporting on this.

JaJaira Gonzales (boxing). Her parents came to the US from Mexico.

Evita Griskenas (gymnastics). Her parents came to the US from Lithuania.

Asher Hong (gymnastics--bronze medal winner). His parents are immigrants from China.

Nick Itkin (Fencing--winner of two bronze medals). His parents came to the US from Ukraine in 1992.

Kanak Jha (table tennis). While not totally clear, it appears his parents are both immigrants from India.

Ashleigh Johnson (water polo--winner of two gold medals). Both of her parents were born in Jamaica.

Paul Juda (gymnastics--bronze medalist). His parents are both immigrants from Poland.

Kelly Korda (golf--gold medalist). Both of her parents are from the Czech Republic (and both competed professionally in tennis for that country!).

Desirae Krawczyk (Tennis). "Both my parents came to America - my dad is Polish, my mom is Filipino."

Jeffrey Louis (Breaking). His parents are both immigrants from Haiti.

Jennifer Lozano (boxing). Her parents came to the US from Mexico in the mid-1990s.

Salif Mane (track and field). His parents migrated to the US from Senegal.

Daniela Moroz (sailing). Her parents both came to the US from Czechoslovakia.

Yared Nuguse (track and field). His parents are from Ethiopia.

Chiaka Ogbogu (volleyball--gold mdealist). Her parents came to the US from Nigeria.

Keturah Orji (track and field). Her parents came to the US from Nigeria.

Kevin Paredes (soccer). Both of his parents are from the Dominican Republic.

Tara Prentice (water polo). Her parents are from Northern Ireland.

Fred Richard (gymnastics--bronze medalist). His mom is from the Dominican Republic and his dad is from Haiti.

Hezly Rivera (gymnastics--gold medalist). Both of her parents are from the Dominican Republic.

Xander Schauffele (golf--gold medalist) has four legal nationalities. His dad is a "French-German naturalized immigrant and his mother was born in Taiwan & raised in Japan."

Lauren Scruggs (fencing). Both of her parents are immigrants from Poland.

Jovana Sekulic (water pol0--winner of one gold and one silver medal). Her parents are immigrants from Serbia.

Howard Shu (badmitton). His parents are both from Taiwan.

Gabriel Slonina (Soccer). His parents are both from Poland.

Rachel Sung (Table Tennis). Her parents came to the US from Taiwan.

Elizabeth Tartakovsky (fencing). Her parents are from the Ukraine.

Diana Taurasi (bsasketball--winner of FIVE gold medals). Her parents emigrated from Argentina to the United States before she was born.

Lilia Vu (golf). Her parents are both from Vietnam.

Annie and Kerry Xu (badmitton). The parents of these identical twins are from China.

Lily Zhang (table tennis). Her parents are immigrants from China.

Rose Zhang (golf). Her parents are immigrants from China.

 

Second Generation (one immigrant parent) + Athletes with one non-citizen parent

Bam Adebayo (basketball -- gold medalist): A member of the Men's Team USA Basketball team, Adebayo plays for the Miami Heat. He was born in NJ to an U.S. citizen mom and a Nigerian father.

Oliver Bub (rowing). His father migrated to the U.S. from Germany.

Gianluca Busio (soccer). His father migrated to the U.S. from Italy.

Naphessa Collier (basketball--gold medalist). Her father is from Sierra-Leone.

Benjamin Cremaschi (soccer). His dad played ruby on Argentina's national team, though I cannot confirm that he was actually an Argentinian national who came to the US.

Luca Cupido (water polo). His father is from Italy.

Angelica Delgado (judo). Her dad defected to the United States from Cuba.

Markus Edegran (sailing). His father is from Sweden.

Megumi Field (artistic swimming). Her mother "grew up in Tokyo," leading me to think her mom might be a Japanese immigrant through the reporting is unclear.

Catalina Gnoriega (archery) grew up in Mexicali "the home of her mother's family," leading me to think her mom might be Mexican though reporting is unclear.

Johnny Hooper (water polo). Hooper holds dual US-Japanese citizenship via his mom, who was born in Japan.

Madison Hughes (rugby) was born and raised in England. His mother is American and his father is English.

Torri Huske (swimming--winner of 2 gold and 3 silver medals). Her mom was born in China and came to the US in 1991.

John Jayne (judo) was born in the UK to an American dad and a Bulgarian mom. He has triple citizenship!

Lee Kiefer (fencing--winner of three gold medals). Her mom came to the US from the Philippines as a child.

Spencer Lee (wrestling). His mother is from France.

Suni Lee (gymnastics--winner of two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals). Her mom came to the US as a refugee from Laos.

Jacklyn Luu (artistic swimming). Her mom came to the US as a refugee from Vietnam. 

Kareem Maddox (basketball). His mother was born in Sudan to a Sudanese father and a British mother.

Boyd Martin (Equestrian). Talk about Olympics royalty. His parents met at the 1968 Winter Olympics where his dad was competing for the US as a speed skater and his mom was competing for Australia as a cross-country skier. Martin was born and raised in Australia.

Alexander Massialas (fencing--winner of one silver and two bronze medals). His mother is from Taiwan.

Sam Mattis (track). His dad is from Jamaica.

Jack McGlynn (soccer). His dad is an immigrant from Ireland.

Victor Montalvo (breaking). His dad was a "break-dancing pioneer in Mexico" in the 80s, leading me to think his dad was a Mexican national.

Jessica Pegula (tennis). Her mom was born in South Korea and adopted by US citizens as an young child.

Jaedyn Shaw (soccer). Her mom is from Vietnam.

Gabby Thomas (track and field--winner of one silver and one bronze medal). Her dad is from Jamaica.

 

Other immigration-related athlete stories:

Ian Barrows (sailing--bronze medalist) was born and raised in Saint Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, making him a U.S. citizen at birth, but an interesting one!

Chase Budinger (volleyball, beach volleyball). His maternal grandfather fled to the U.S. after the Soviet occupation of his home country, Latvia.

Jaime Czarkowski (artistic swimming) is a dual Canadian-U.S. national. She was born and grew up in Calgary (Canada). Her dad is American. 

Ben Davison (rowing) was born in Durham, England. I cannot find any information about how parents' nationalities, but I conclude that they were both US citizens as there's no indication that Davison ever naturalized.

Colin Heathcock (fencing) was born in China. His dad has dual citizenship with Germany. His mom was an architect in China when he was born--I can't find information clarifying whether she was a Chinese national.

Lucas LaCamp (rugby) was born and raised in Hong Kong.

Katie Ledecky (swimming--winner of NINE gold, four silver, and one bronze medal). Her paternal grandfather came to the US from Czechoslovakia.

Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez (archery) was born in the US and raised in Mexico City. It seems like her parents might both be Mexican, but reporting is vague.

Marcus Orlob (equestrian) was born and raised in Germany, presumably to one or more US citizens.

Ruby Remati (artistic swimming) was born in Australia.

Naya Tapper (rubgy--bronze medalist). Her parents are "of Jamaican and Puerto Rican descent."

**

I hope you've enjoyed these sports updates! My carpal tunnel now needs a week off.

-KitJ

California GOP Candidate for Senate: "We need workable, long-term immigration solutions; mass deportation is not the answer."

 

 

In California, former professional baseball player Steve Garvey is the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. facing off against Democratic nominee Adam Schiff.  Garvey has published an op-ed in La Opinion Los Angeles entitled We need workable, long-term immigration solutions; mass deportation is not the answer.  the commentary does not support the mass deportation campaign embraced by former President Donald Trump.  However, Garvey does support more border enforcement officers and securing the borders in other ways.  

From the op-ed:

llegal immigration is also blatantly unfair to the millions of hard-working immigrants who came to the United States legally and now call California home.

However, the mass deportation of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in our country is not a realistic solution. Fixing the immigration issue is more complex.

Right now, the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency is severely understaffed. The agency is failing to hire border patrol agents fast enough to replace thousands of soon-to-be retirees...

...As a United States Senator, I will take a comprehensive approach to resolving our country’s immigration issues. But “mass deportation now” as some use as a rallying cry, is not realistic in any way.

Click here to read the full op-ed.

KJ

Another Immigrant Olympic Story: Joel Embiid

By Erik Drost - https://www.flickr.com/photos/edrost88/51913821942/, CC BY 2.0, Link

NBA player Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) is a member of Team USA's Men's Basketball team. Embiid was born in Cameroon. He came to the United States as a teenager to pursue basketball. Embiid has been playing for the 76ers his entire, very illustrious, ten-year NBA career that began as the third pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He's been an NBA All-Star 7 times. He's twice been an NBA scoring champion (2022, 2023). And he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2023.

Embiid became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2022, noting: "My son" (pictured right) "is American. I felt like, I’m living here and it’s a blessing to be an American. So I said, why not?"

When it comes to the Olympics, Embiid could have played for Cameroon, the US, or even France. He actually became a French citizen in 2022, the same year he became a U.S. citizen.

Embiid has taken some heat for playing with Team USA instead of France. He's actually being booed by Parisian fans. (How classy, or, as the French say, tres chic.)

On top of that delightful reception, Embiid hasn't gotten much play time at the Olympics. He did not play at all during the match up between USA and South Sudan. When your teammates are LeBron James, Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards--11 current All-Stars, in fact--play time can be hard to come by. USA coach Steve Kerr has said that Embiid will return to the starting lineup on Saturday's game, though, so keep an eye out for him in that game.

-KitJ

One of the many, wonderful Olympics immigration stories

Last night, I happened to catch a profile of Chile's Zeng Zhiying.

Zeng was born in China. Her mom was a table tennis (aka ping pong) coach and Zeng was paddling "almost as soon as she was physically able." She attended a sports academy and turned professional at 12. Yes, TWELVE. At 16, she made China's national table tennis team but left a few years later after a change to the rules of the sport changed her game. [Don't ask me to explain, it had to do with the colors of the paddle and I'm not the sportiest person.]

When one door closes, another opens. Zeng was offered a job in Northern Chile teaching table tennis to schoolchildren. She has lived in Chile for the 35 years since, adopting the name "Tania" along the way and birthing two sons in her new country.

Her own table tennis journey has had wild ups and downs in the years since. She didn't play competitively for years after her move to Chile. She reappeared on the scene in 2003, but left again just two years later. Then she got back into the game during the pandemic.

In 2022, the Chilean Table Tennis Federation announced a tournament to put together its Olympics team. She competed and won a spot on the national team. Her 92-year-old father "jumped out of his chair" when he learned that his daughter had qualified for the Olympics.

At 58, Zeng is one of the oldest player at the Olympics. (The very oldest is a 69-year old equestrian.) Zeng did not win her preliminary round yesterday, but she vows to continue enjoying her sport. In Paris, she was even able to connect with a former teammate on the China national team, Ni Xialian, who is herself an immigrant an representing Luxembourg the the games.

-KitJ

Immigrant of the Day: José Igelsias (Cuba)

MLB shortstop José Igelsias was born and raised in Cuba. At 18, he defected while playing for the Cuba junior national team in Canada. Just over a year later, he had signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox. Since then, Igelsias has also played for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, L.A. Angles, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, and, now, the N.Y. Mets.

He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018, 10 years after his defection.

Beyond baseball, Iglesias is becoming a well-known musician. He released a song, O.M.G., under the name Candelita. In late June, it hit #1 on the iTunes Latin Pop charts.

It's a cheerful jam that you should consider adding to your classroom playlist.

-KitJ

Immigrant of the Day: Luka Dončić (Slovenia)

By Erik Drost - This file was derived from: Luka Doncic (51177393625).jpg: , CC BY 2.0, Link

I had the enviable opportunity to go to Game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs last night at the Target Center in Minneapolis. And, like the majority of the folks there, I was fully rooting for the Timberwolves. Sadly, our cheers, while heartfelt, were not enough to manifest success. The Timberwolves lost 124-103, leading various news outlets to call the game a "blowout" to "humiliate" the Wolves. Uh, ouch.

It's undeniable that Luka Dončić, the magical point guard for the Dallas Mavericks, was a large reason for the Mavs win. He was a (slightly-painful) joy to watch. So fluid. So accurate. He somehow makes basketball look effortless. It's not shocking that he was named the Western Conference finals MVP.

Dončić hails from Slovenia. He started his professional basketball career overseas with Real Madrid. In 2018, he joined the NBA, playing for the Mavs, and won the NBA Rookie of the Year.

Six years later, Dončić is still with the Mavs and still posting insane stats. And he's only 25!

He'll certainly be exciting to watch in the NBA finals against the Celtics. The first game is just a week away -- Thursday June 6 on ABC.

-KitJ

The Immigrant Powerhouse Playing for the SC Gamecocks

Are you glued to your TV right now? You should be! It's the final game of the women's NCAA basketball season. Iowa is playing South Carolina. You can watch on ABC.

Keep an eye out for South Carolina Center Kamilla Cardoso. She's a native of Brazil! At 6'7" with bright magenta hair, she's impossible to miss. She's killing it on the floor--getting the first tap of the game, popping baskets in, and denying Iowa shots with her impossibly long reach.

This will be Cardoso's last WNBA game. She's headed to the WNBA.

-KitJ

P.S. For the record, yes, I am still rooting for Iowa. But you know I've got to give the immigration shoutout when I can.

UConn Women's Final Four Made By Immigration

I want to get one thing clear at the outset: I was rooting for Iowa. I've been living in the Midwest for 17 years now. My besties (shoutout to Bram and Stella Elias) are Iowa immprofs. Then there's Caitlin Clark. Plus, rooting for UConn feels like rooting for the Yankees. My son's godmother is a longtime Huskies' fan (and Yankees fan, to my dismay) so I'm fully aware of their long history of NCAA Championship wins. Let's give Iowa (never a NCAA champ) a turn. As my 15-year-old would say: You feel me?

Anyhoo. UConn. It would be impossible to walk away from last night's game without feeling like UConn was an absolute powerhouse. They lost by an hair at 69-71. They played with almost no substitutions due to massive injuries over the course of the season to key teammates. They led in scoring for huge chunks of the game--at one point holding a 12 point lead.

And immigration played a huge role in their game.

How so?

Let's start at the top. The coach of UConn women's b-ball is Geno Auriemma. He was born in Italy and migrated to the U.S. with his family when he was just 7 years old. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1994 at the age of 40. That was just one year before he coached the Huskies to their first NCAA championship in 1995. Coincidence? I think not.

Next, let's talk about Nika Mühl, the Croatian native whose playing was key to UConn's first half success. She guarded the hell out of Caitlin Clark in the first half--completely throwing off Clark's game and keeping her scoring minimal. Mühl herself scored the three pointer off a steal that brought UConn within one of Iowa when just 39.3 seconds remained in the game.

Finally, let's talk about Canadian Aaliyah Edwards, a UConn forward. With her bright yellow braids, Edwards was a vision on the court. She scored 17 points for her team. Unfortunately, Edwards was also tagged with an offensive foul in the final minute of the game--a call USA Today characterized as "controversial" and which certainly contributed towards Iowa's win.

In writing this post up, I took at look at the Huskies full roster. The international flavor doesn't stop with Mühl and Edwards. Check out Inés Bettencourt from Portugal and Jana El Alfy from Egypt.

Last night's game was a roller coaster thrill ride. I'm thoroughly looking forward to Sunday's championship game: Iowa vs. South Carolina. 2PM Central. ABC.

-KitJ

Game performance of immigrant NBA players might suffer due to anti-foreigner sentiment

 

Professional basketball has gone global.  "[F]rom 2010 to 2021, 21 percent of [National Basketball Association (NBA)] players who debuted in the league were foreign-born. Over time, foreign-born NBA players have come from nearly every continent representing 80 countries, as well as U.S. Territories and the U.S. Virgin Islands."

A new study looks at the impacts of anti-immigrant sentiment on the performance of NBA players who are immigrants.  And the results are fascinating if not altogether surprising.

During the 2020–2021 season of the National Basketball Association, immigrant players for teams in regions with stronger far-right political sentiments were more likely to make game errors—highlighting the effects of such views on immigrant workplace performance. Benjamin Korman and Florian Kunze of the University of Konstanz, Germany, presented these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. "Prior research has shown that, in regions with strong support for far-right political parties, immigrants face more prejudice and discrimination. Evidence also suggests that being exposed to anti-immigrant propaganda may hinder immigrants' performance on various tasks, and exposure to negative stereotypes about a certain group of people might boost the performance of people outside that group."

The new study hypothesized that living in areas with far-right views might increase immigrants' awareness of the possibility of being judged negatively as immigrants, disrupting their attention and causing them to make more workplace errors. To investigate that hypothesis, they analyzed data on all 522 US-based NBA players' game performance following the failed 2020 re-election bid of Donald Trump. The researchers found that immigrant players for teams based in regions with a higher percentage of presidential votes for Trump were more likely to make performance errors than immigrant players in regions with less Trump support. In contrast, the opposite was found for native players in the far-right regions. These results held true after statistically accounting for other factors that could impact performance, such as age, position, ball-possession time, number of possessions, salary and minutes of play time.

On the basis of their findings, the researchers suggest that organizations might consider steps to insulate employees from regional far-right views by, for instance, banning employees from wearing politically charged clothing and fostering inclusive environments.

KJ

The Changing (International) Face of Professional Basketball in the US

 

The National Basketball Association (NBA) finals featuring the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat continue later today.  One interesting development in the NBA is that, as reported here,

"[f]or a fifth straight year, the NBA's Most Valuable Player award will go to someone born outside of the United States. While the league has not yet announced the winner of the Michael Jordan Trophy, the finalists are Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Cameroon-born Embiid (the league's leading scorer), Serbia's Jokic (the two-time reigning MVP), and Greek-Nigerian Antetokounmpo (who hoisted the trophy in 2019 and 2020) each turned in a superlative 2022–2023 campaign . . . 

Along with Slovenian guard Luka Doncic, who at the tender age of 24 has already made the All-NBA First Team three years running, Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo are becoming the defining faces of the NBA's global brand . . . .

. . . 120 foreign-born players . . .  now constitute about one-third of the league, a total that is up from just 23 such players 30 seasons ago.

This injection of foreign talent has been a boon for the NBA and, in turn, for American basketball fans. League revenue is at a record high, and quality of play is as well, by many metrics. While their pure hoops talent is key, the NBA's foreign star quartet has accelerated the adoption of new, more free-flowing, all-court playing styles borrowed from the international game that have elevated the league's on-court aesthetic.

The NBA's adoption of talented individuals from around the globe provides a lesson for the wider American economy." (bold added).

KJ

The Ukrainian pee-wee hockey team

 

It seems fair to say that the nightly news is not uplifting for many of us.  NBC News, as well as other news outlets (here and here), have brought us an inspirational story:  

"From the cold of Canada’s Quebec city, there is a first at the International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, a team of refugees from the war in Ukraine. The team trained back home as bombs fell and even skated in the dark. NBC News’ Jose Díaz-Balart speaks with the young players and witnesses an emotional moment on a video call between one of the team players and his father, who is fighting on the front lines."

The Ukrainian team had a wonderful run in the torunament.

KJ

DHS at Work During Super Bowl

 

No matter the outcome of the #SuperBowl, you can join a winning team. pic.twitter.com/35PnKIecXm

— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) February 13, 2023

 

Yesterday afternoon and evening, many Americans were enjoying an exciting Super Bowl, new (including some comprehensible) commercials, and a top end half-time show.   At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security was on high alert.  Check out this press release ("DHS Teams Up with State and Local Officials to Secure Super Bowl LVII"):

"The Department of Homeland Security, in close coordination with state and local officials, is leading federal efforts to ensure the safety and security of employees, players, and fans during Super Bowl LVII. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas was in Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona this week to inspect security operations, meet with federal, state, and local law enforcement and emergency responders, and engage with National Football League (NFL) partners as the pregame week kicks off.

`At the Department of Homeland Security, our core mission is to ensure the safety of the American public – including at special events like the Super Bowl. DHS is a department of partnerships, and our efforts here rely on our partnerships with federal, state, local, tribal, and campus agencies, and of course, the NFL,' said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. `Dedicated DHS personnel are on the ground preparing and coordinating, and stand ready to provide operational and technical support to the NFL, State of Arizona, and the cities of Glendale and Phoenix to keep Super Bowl LVII safe and ensure everyone can enjoy the game.'”

KJ

Should Australia let Kanye West in?

Australia is no stranger to immigration controversies.  Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, also is no stranger to controversy. Mary Crock (University of Sydney) for The Conversation considers Ye's immigration issues in Australia:

"Just one year after then-Immigration Minister Alex Hawke moved to expel tennis star Novak Djokovic from Australia on character grounds, his Labor successor, Andrew Giles, is faced with another controversial visitor in the form of Ye (formerly known as Kanye West).

Although he’s both a musician and rapper, Ye may be best described as a social influencer – and one with very offensive views, especially when it comes to Jewish people and the Holocaust."

Professor Crock concludes by noting that 

"What is clear from previous cases is the fact the immigration minister has long enjoyed extraordinary power to exclude and expel non-citizens whose presence in Australia might prove unpopular. And these decisions inevitably involve political calculations. Just ask Novak Djokovic."

 

KJ

Nigerian chess prodigy, 12, granted asylum in the United States

 

Here is a "feel good' story for the holiday season.  Sydney Page in the New York Times reports that

"Tanitoluwa `Tani' Adewumi rose to sudden stardom at age 8 for his striking chess skills: He beat 73 opponents and clinched the New York state chess championship for his division. At the time, in 2019, he was living with his family in a homeless shelter.

They had moved to New York from Nigeria in 2017, seeking religious asylum after the family, devoutly Christian, was threatened by the terrorist group Boko Haram and forced to flee their country.

 

Since Tani’s breakout state championship, his trophies have multiplied. At 10, he was named a National Master, and his current title is FIDE Master, a prestigious designation awarded by the international chess governing body. Along with his chess accolades, his life story became the subject of a book."

 

The asylum process for the chess prodigy and his family was not an east one.  Read the Times story for details.

 

Hat tip to Dan Kowalski for spreading the word about this amazing story.

 

KJ

Who Represents the Country? A Short History of Foreign-Born Athletes in the World Cup

Photo of World Cup Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

World Cup mania is everywhere!  And there is an immigration angle.  Gijsbert Oonk for Migration Information Source reports that World Cup fans "may have noticed a sizable number of players born outside the country they represent on the field, especially for teams representing nations such as Morocco and Qatar. This is not unusual. Athletes born abroad have represented national teams in every World Cup since its inception in 1930, typically accounting for about one in ten players. At times, these players can raise complicated questions about national belonging, citizenship, and migration."

KJ

Migrants Hired to Work at the World Cup Opening Match Waited All Day Without Food and Water

Tariq Panja for the New York Times reports on some troubling news from the World Cup, which this year is hosted by Qatar, a nation with a human rights record that has been questioned.  "A group of more than 200 migrant laborers hired to work concession stalls at the Qatar World Cup’s opening game said they had been left without food, water and toilet facilities for seven hours while they waited for their assignments."  Most of the migrants reportedly are from India.

 

UPDATE (November 21, 3 p.m. PST):  For a book on migrant labor in Qatar, click here.  Hat tip to my colleague Afra Afsharipour.

 

KJ

NIL and International Student Athletes

On October 14, the Oklahoma Law Review hosted as symposium on Name, Image, and Likeness in College Athletics. I spoke, along with Professor Eric E. Johnson (yup, a relation) regarding the opportunities available for international student athletes to enter NIL deals.

You can see our (very brief) comments in the video below starting at 2:08:23 and ending at 2:18:48. Here's the short version:

Academics and attorneys have counseled that F-visa international student athletes are largely prohibited from benefiting from NIL income because of the visa's restrictions on employment. To the contrary, NIL income is not incompatible with F-visa status.

NIL is about the right of publicity and licensing. That is, if someone uses an athlete's name, image, or likeness without authorization, the athlete could sue for violation of their right of publicity. But if the entity that used the athlete's NIL had a license with the athlete, that license would serve as an affirmative defense to the right of publicity claim. In other words, payments made pursuant to an NIL license (if structured appropriately) are license income and not employment.

Those who have argued that F-visa international student athletes are prohibited from benefiting from NIL income because of the visa's restrictions on employment, often cite Wettasinghe v. INS 702 F.2d 641 (6th Cir. 1983). Yet that case rested on regulations--changed 11 days after the opinion--that prohibited F-visa students from working off campus "for an employer or independently." The "or independently" language is no longer in the regulations. The case also predates IRCA, which, in 1986, defined the term "employment" to specifically exclude independent contracting. Finally, the Wettasinghe case predates CCNV v. Reid, 490 U.S. 730 (1989), in which SCOTUS said that if "employment" is undefined in a statute, it means the common-law agency conception, not independent contractor labor.

There is vast gap between "employment" and "licensing income." The fact that people have been blanketly excluding international student athletes from NIL deals because of F-visa prohibitions on employment is unwarranted. That said, USCIS hasn't weighed in on this issue. And the downside of engaging in activity that the government might eventually hold to be incompatible with nature of the visa is deportation. So it's understandable why folks might be overly cautious in this space.

Our paper will be published by the OLR in 2023.

-KitJ

Anti-Immigration Ad Runs During World Series

 

BASEBALL FANS: Did you see our ad "NO MAS!" that just ran during Game 1 of the World Series? WATCH 👇 pic.twitter.com/wdLH79rdNw

— Citizens for Sanity (@citizens_sanity) October 29, 2022

It is time for the World Series, the culmination of a wild and wooly baseball season.  The New York Post reports:

"A new political ad blasting President Biden over issues like illegal immigration and the state of the economy aired Friday during Game 1 of the World Series.

`How did we get here?' the ad begins, lamenting `low wages, high inflation, record crime' and `illegal immigration from places as far away as Pakistan.'

The ad, broadcast 11 days out from the midterm elections, was paid for by Citizens for Sanity and appeared to be targeting Latino voters — with the narrator speaking with a clear Hispanic accent. 

`Our cities are a mess. Public services are a nightmare. But instead of helping us, Joe Biden has sent $66 billion to Ukraine. Weapons worth billions more. And now, Joe Biden says his fight in Ukraine could lead to nuclear Armageddon. World War III.

`You know what I say? No mas,' the ad concludes." 

A group called Citizens for Sanity ran the ad. Politifact refers to "Citizens for Sanity [as] a conservative nonprofit whose leaders are associated with the America First Legal Foundation, which was founded by former Trump administration official Stephen Miller."  Th4e group ran similar ads during the Los Angeles Dodgers/San Diego Padres series.

The Philadelphia Phillies won the first game of the Series over the Houston Astros 6-5 in 10 innings.

KJ

Fans outraged with MLB and FS1 for running “Citizens for Sanity” immigration political ad during LA Dodgers/San Diego Padres Playoff Series

It has been a tough few days for this Los Angeles Dodgers fan.  After having an amazing season with the best record in Major League Baseball, The Dodgers lost a series to the San Diego Padress in the Major League Baseball playoffs last weekend.  

There is an immigration angle to the Dodgers' demise.    According to Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times, the “Citizens for Sanity” commercial aired on FS1 during the mid-fourth inning break of the NLDS finale between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. The ad also aired during the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves series on FS1.

 

NEW AD: 🔊

TELL BIDEN & KELLY...

WE DON'T WANT OPEN BORDERS! pic.twitter.com/8kOrnSTiH8

— Citizens for Sanity (@citizens_sanity) October 14, 2022

And that's why the Dodgers lost.  

KJ

Proud to be an American: Professional basketball star now U.S. citizen

 

Top scorer in the National Basketball Association and All-Star, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers was sworn in as a U.S. citizen two weeks ago, reports Dan Gelston of the Associated Press. "A native of Cameroon who also holds French citizenship, Embiid was sworn . . . in Philadelphia as an American citizen.""I’ve been here for a long time," said Embiid. "My son is American. I felt like, I’m living here and it’s a blessing to be an American. So I said, why not?" 

KJ