Thisisnotagoodtimetobeforeign.Anti-immigrantpartiesaregaininggroundinEurope.Britainhasbeenfrettingthisweekoverlapsesinitsbordercontrols.InAmericaBarackObamahasfailedtodelivertheimmigrationreformhepromised,andRepublicanpresidentialcandidateswouldratherelectrifytheborderfencewithMexicothaneducatethechildrenofillegalaliens.Americaeducatesforeignscientistsinitsuniversitiesandthenexpelsthem,apolicythemayorofNewYorkcalls“nationalsuicide”. Thisilliberalturninattitudestomigrationisnosurprise.Itistheresultofcyclicaleconomicgloomcombinedwithasecularriseinpressureonrichcountries’borders.Butgovernmentsnowweighingupwhetherornottotrytoslamthedoorshouldconsideranotherfactor:thegrowingeconomicimportanceofDiasporas,andthecontributiontheycanmaketoacountry’seconomicgrowth. Diasporanetworks-ofHuguenots,Scots,Jewsandmanyothers-havealwaysbeenapotenteconomicforce,butthecheapnessandeaseofmoderntravelhasmadethemlargerandmorenumerousthaneverbefore.Therearenow215mfirst-generationmigrantsaroundtheworld:that’s3％oftheworld’spopulation.Iftheywereanation,itwouldbealittlelargerthanBrazil.TherearemoreChinesepeoplelivingoutsideChinathanthereareFrenchpeopleinFrance.Some22mIndiansarescatteredallovertheglobe.Smallconcentrationsofethnicandlinguisticgroupshavealwaysbeenfoundinsurprisingplaces-LebaneseinWestAfrica,JapaneseinBrazilandWelshinPatagonia,forinstance-buttheyhavebeenjoinedbynewerones,suchaswestAfricansinsouthernChina. Thesenetworksofkinshipandlanguagemakeiteasiertodobusinessacrossborders.Theyspeedtheflowofinformation.Trustmatters,especiallyinemergingmarketswheretheruleoflawisweak.Sodoesaknowledgeofthelocalculture.Andmoderncommunicationsmakethesenetworksanevenmorepowerfultoolofbusiness. Diasporasalsohelpspreadideas.Manyoftheemergingworld’sbrightestmindsareeducatedatWesternuniversities.Anincreasingnumbergohome,takingwiththembothknowledgeandcontacts.IndiancomputerscientistsinBangalorebounceideasconstantlyofftheirIndianfriendsinSiliconValley.China’stechnologyindustryisdominatedby“seaturtles”(Chinesewhohavelivedabroadandreturned. Diasporasspreadmoney,too.Migrantsintorichcountriesnotonlysendcashtotheirfamilies;theyalsohelpcompaniesintheirhostcountryoperateintheirhomecountry.AHarvardBusinessSchoolstudyshowsthat,AmericancompaniesthatemploylotsofethnicChinesepeoplefinditmucheasiertosetupinChinawithoutajointventurewithalocalfirm. Suchargumentsareunlikelytomakemuchheadwayagainsthostilitytowardsimmigrantsinrichcountries.Furyagainstforeignersisusuallybasedontwo(mutuallyincompatible)notions:thatbecausesomanymigrantsclaimwelfaretheyareadrainonthepublicpurse;andthatbecausetheyarepreparedtoworkharderforlesspaytheywilldepressthewagesofthoseatthebottomofthepile.Thefirstisusuallynottrue(inBritain,forinstance,immigrantsclaimbenefitslessthanindigenouspeopledo),andthesecondishardtoestablisheitherway.Somestudiesdoindeedsuggestthatcompetitionfromunskilledimmigrantsdepressesthewagesofunskilledlocals.Butothersfindthiseffecttobesmallornon-existent. Norisitpossibletoestablishtheimpactofmigrationonoverallgrowth.Thesumsaresimplytoodifficult.Yettherearegoodreasonsforbelievingthatitislikelytobepositive.Migrantstendtobehard-workingandinnovative.Thatspursproductivityandcompanyformation.ArecentstudycarriedoutbyDukeUniversityshowedthat,whileimmigrantsmakeupaneighthofAmerica’spopulation,theyfoundedaquarterofthecountry’stechnologyandengineeringfirms.And,bylinkingtheWestwithemergingmarkets,Diasporashelprichcountriestoplugintofast-growingeconomies. Richcountriesarethuslikelytobenefitfromlooserimmigrationpolicy;andfearsthatpoorcountrieswillsufferasaresultofa“braindrain”areoverblown.Theprospectofworkingabroadspursmorepeopletoacquirevaluableskills,andnotallsubsequentlyemigrate.Skilledmigrantssendmoneyhome,andtheyoftenreturntosetupnewbusinesses.Onestudyfoundthatunlesstheylosemorethan20％oftheiruniversitygraduates,thebraindrainmakespoorcountriesricher. Theauthor’sattitudetowards“Diasporas”isthat_____.
A.There is increasing hostility towards immigrants in rich countries.
B.Immigrant networks are a rare bright spark in the world economy and rich countries should welcome them.
C.The Diasporas should return to their homelands so that poor countries will not suffer as a result of “brain drain”.
D.Hard-working immigrants will depress the wages of the locals although they may greatly increase productivity.
正确答案是B