kovboydan's recent activity
-
Comment on Are DEI programs at work pointless or actually accomplishing the opposite of what they are meant to? in ~life
-
Comment on Why US Democrats got the politics of immigration so wrong for so long in ~society
kovboydan (edited )Link ParentI have first hand experience, too. I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (US Citizen for spouse, parent, or child under 21) is currently at 62 months while I-130 (Permanent Resident for spouse or...I have first hand experience, too.
I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (US Citizen for spouse, parent, or child under 21) is currently at 62 months while I-130 (Permanent Resident for spouse or child under 21) is at 84.5 months.
That aligns with things that are “common” knowledge. Yes, there are differences in processing times for US Citizen (faster) and LPR (slower) applications for spouses. Yes, different centers have different processing times and that waits for interviews vary by city.
And yes, some categories (and countries) wait while others don’t wait, or wait less. But the who and why for that - generally speaking - is public information. Under the “80% completed in xx.x months” block on the USCIS processing times site there is a note referencing the Visa Bulletin (if you search I-130s).
Visa Bulletin is a publication regarding immigration to the United States published by the United States Department of State. The primary purpose of this bulletin is to provide an updated waiting list (also known as Priority date) for immigrants who are subject to the quota system. The content of the bulletin is available on the web.
Immigrants to the United States are categorized under those that need a waiting list, such as those seeking admission as a relative of a permanent resident, and those who do not require placement on a waiting list, such as the husband or wife of a US citizen. For those visas that require a waiting list, a certain number of visas become available on annual basis. For example, there are about 23,000 visas available for married sons and daughters of US citizens; if the number of applicants in a year is over the available visa numbers, those applicants are placed in a queue and are given a priority date, which basically estimates when an applicant would get a visa based on the number of previous applicants in the queue.
Source: Visa Bulletin, Wikipedia.
And if you go look at the visa bulletin you can see there will be significant variations based on country and category. Example: Visa Bulletin, January 2025.
So one perspective is “fast track pushes everyone else further back” and the other perspective is “there are categories with a wait list and categories without, there are categories with a limit and those without, and counties within specific categories that have different waits.”
-
Comment on Are DEI programs at work pointless or actually accomplishing the opposite of what they are meant to? in ~life
kovboydan Link ParentSource: INSIGHT: Online Ads Targeting Job Applicants Under Scrutiny From EEOC, Plaintiff’s Bar, Bloomberg Law.In July, the EEOC issued reasonable cause findings against several companies related to the posting of job advertisements on Facebook in 2017 and 2018 that allegedly were directed towards specific populations of people—men and younger people—while simultaneously excluding others—women and older people—from seeing the ads.
Source: INSIGHT: Online Ads Targeting Job Applicants Under Scrutiny From EEOC, Plaintiff’s Bar, Bloomberg Law.
-
Comment on Why US Democrats got the politics of immigration so wrong for so long in ~society
kovboydan Link ParentI’m not forgetting, e.g. the OPT to H1-B route is tough because (1) there’s a cap on H1-Bs and (2) you need to find a an employer willing to sponsor an H1-B. The assertion was it’s faster....I’m not forgetting, e.g. the OPT to H1-B route is tough because (1) there’s a cap on H1-Bs and (2) you need to find a an employer willing to sponsor an H1-B.
The assertion was it’s faster. Objectively faster. Well, the one point in time from which we can reasonably compare is from submission of the respective applications. From which we can see objectively that an H1-B is processed more quickly than pending asylum + EAD app.
Any point in time earlier than that would be incomparable, or subjective. Should we start the clock for the asylum seeker the day they leave their home and the H1-B applicant the day they apply for a job? Or start the clock for the asylum seeker the day they cross the first border on their way and the H1-B applicant when they accept the job offer? Some other points in time?
And for the sake of specificity when discussing nuanced topics: if someone applies for asylum they didn’t “illegally immigrate.”
-
Comment on Why US Democrats got the politics of immigration so wrong for so long in ~society
kovboydan Link ParentSource: Refugees and Asylees, DHS.gov Asylum seekers must wait 150 days before they can seek employment authorization, and can’t receive employment authorization before their application has been...A refugee is a person outside his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. An asylee is a person who meets the definition of refugee and is already present in the United States or is seeking admission at a port of entry.
Source: Refugees and Asylees, DHS.gov
Asylum seekers must wait 150 days before they can seek employment authorization, and can’t receive employment authorization before their application has been pending for 180 days. That’s roughly 5 months after applying for asylum before they could apply for - not receive - employment authorization.
The highest processing time for form I-129, H1-B (Specialty Occupation, Change of status in US) is currently 4.5 months. The highest processing time for the same but visa issued outside US is currently 4.5 months.
Source: Check Case Processing Times, USCIS.
-
Comment on Are DEI programs at work pointless or actually accomplishing the opposite of what they are meant to? in ~life
kovboydan Link ParentSource: Affirmative Action in the United States, Wikipedia.org Source: DEI isn't dead, but employers must tread carefully, Reuters.com Source: Affirmative Action Myths and Realities, University of...Affirmative action included the use of racial quotas until the Supreme Court ruled that quotas were unconstitutional in 1978. Affirmative action currently tends to emphasize not specific quotas but rather "targeted goals" to address past discrimination in a particular institution or in broader society through "good-faith efforts ... to identify, select, and train potentially qualified minorities and women."
Source: Affirmative Action in the United States, Wikipedia.org
But, as Duvall shows, employers who implement DEI programs must remember that employment discrimination based on race is generally prohibited by law, even when it is motivated by a desire to increase the participation of historically underrepresented groups.
The law provides an exception to this rule for employers who develop a lawful affirmative action plan that meets specific requirements and is narrowly tailored to address identified problems. After the Fair Admissions decision, even this exception may be on unsteady ground
Source: DEI isn't dead, but employers must tread carefully, Reuters.com
Affirmative action regulations provide that goals serve as "targets reasonably attainable by means of applying every good faith effort to make all aspects of the entire affirmative action program work" and that goals "may not be rigid and inflexible quotas, which must be met." Quotas may be imposed only by judicial order, and only as a last resort to redress a pattern of blatant discrimination.
Source: Affirmative Action Myths and Realities, University of Oregon HR
-
Comment on Why US Democrats got the politics of immigration so wrong for so long in ~society
kovboydan Link ParentSource: In Immigration Debate, 'Undocumented' Vs. 'Illegal' Is More Than Just Semantics, NPR (2013).The language used in the debate over immigration has itself become the subject of fierce contention. Advocates for immigration reform (like Colorlines) say the term "illegal immigrant" is dehumanizing and racialized. They point to a 2005 memo by Frank Luntz, a Republican consultant, that called on the party to use that term in public statements to push for tighter immigration enforcement.
The term has become so loaded that it prompted the Hispanic Leadership Network, a conservative group, to issue a memo to Republicans on Tuesday calling for Republicans to stop using "illegal immigrant," too.
"When talking about immigrants: Do use 'undocumented immigrant' when referring to those here without documentation," the organization wrote. "Please consider these tonally sensitive messaging points as you discuss immigration, regardless of your position."
…
But the term "undocumented immigrant" is not without its own political connotations. It's been the term of choice for activists in favor of reform; Obama's choice to use it seems to signal that he's on their side in the debate.Jonathan Rosa, a linguistic anthropologist at the University of Massachusetts, told NPR that both phrases muddle the conversation about immigration reform.
" 'Undocumented' and 'illegal' seem to be signaling one's stance when it comes to immigration reform than it is about characterizing the situation in a precise way," Rosa said. He said the State Department's definition of immigrant explicitly refers to lawful status, making the term "illegal immigrant" a contradiction. But undocumented immigrant doesn't quite fit either because the term "makes it seem as though there's [just been] an administrative mistake, as if a document wasn't issued."
Rosa said the fight over the terminology isn't trivial, since the ways people use language can have social consequences. "It's not simply a way of describing the world or representing the world; it's a way of taking action in the world," he said.
And in case you were wondering: Rosa says he uses the term "unauthorized migrant" in his academic writing. "A 'migrant" is just someone who is moving across national borders," he said. "It doesn't make any presumptions about the legal status of people."
Source: In Immigration Debate, 'Undocumented' Vs. 'Illegal' Is More Than Just Semantics, NPR (2013).
-
Comment on The gossip trap - How civilization came to be and how social media is ending it in ~humanities.history
kovboydan LinkI know a little about a lot but not enough about anything, so this is speculation: Ancient Aliens? But if you’re an Attorney x Economist, you’d probably say the development of more efficient - in...I know a little about a lot but not enough about anything, so this is speculation: Ancient Aliens?
But if you’re an Attorney x Economist, you’d probably say the development of more efficient - in an economic sense - legal frameworks and processes. I can’t remember the old Chicago school bros names at the moment, but here’s a random example on SSRN of the kinds of papers out there about it: The Genesis of Liability in Ancient Law.
Edit: Posner. It was Posner. A Theory of Primitive Society, with Special Reference to Law.
-
Comment on 1891 New Orleans lynchings in ~humanities.history
kovboydan Link ParentThis post had me unpacking and reprocessing all the mental files on xenophobic and racist violence in the US. Thought I’d share what I think are two lesser known incidents, because it’s important...This post had me unpacking and reprocessing all the mental files on xenophobic and racist violence in the US.
Thought I’d share what I think are two lesser known incidents, because it’s important to know our collective history and acknowledge the scars of bigoted violence that shape the US.
This one and 1920 Duluth.
Edit: Got distracted by kids before I could share the second.
-
Comment on 1891 New Orleans lynchings in ~humanities.history
kovboydan LinkFirst Paragraph:First Paragraph:
The 1891 New Orleans lynchings were the murders of 11 Italian Americans, immigrants in New Orleans, by a mob for their alleged role in the murder of police chief David Hennessy after some of them had been acquitted at trial. It was the largest single mass lynching in American history. Most of the lynching victims accused in the murder had been rounded up and charged due to their Italian ethnicity.
-
1891 New Orleans lynchings
7 votes -
Comment on I just bought a 64GB iPad, anything I should know/do? in ~tech
kovboydan Link ParentAlternative: Orion browser has been working well for browsing without ads. Only thing that still happens for me in Safari is paying a bill occasionally.Alternative: Orion browser has been working well for browsing without ads. Only thing that still happens for me in Safari is paying a bill occasionally.
-
Comment on Charles Brannock: Foot measuring device in ~engineering
kovboydan LinkThe Brannock Device is the standard foot measuring tool for the world’s footwear industry. But few people are able to call the device by name, much less identify its inventor, Charles Brannock.
… -
Charles Brannock: Foot measuring device
8 votes -
Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes
kovboydan LinkFrom a major player in the cowboy scene. His name was Cowboy Dan. Quite a tragic tale. And the English translation is “from a cowboy” so it is also a self explanatory handle.From a major player in the cowboy scene. His name was Cowboy Dan. Quite a tragic tale.
And the English translation is “from a cowboy” so it is also a self explanatory handle.
-
Comment on The University of Michigan doubled down on D.E.I. What went wrong? in ~society
kovboydan LinkThat was a very long read. These are the two paragraphs that I found most interesting.That was a very long read. These are the two paragraphs that I found most interesting.
D.E.I. theory and debates over nomenclature sometimes obscured real-world barriers to inclusion. The strategic plan for Michigan’s renowned arboretum and botanical gardens calls for employees to rethink the use of Latin and English plant names, which “actively erased” other “ways of knowing,” and adopt “a ‘polycentric’ paradigm, decentering singular ways of knowing and cocreating meaning through a variety of epistemic frames, including dominant scientific and horticultural modalities, Two-Eyed Seeing, Kinomaage and other cocreated power realignments.”
Only one sentence in the 37-page plan is devoted to the biggest impediment to making the gardens accessible to a more diverse array of visitors: It is hard to get there without a car. (While the arboretum is adjacent to campus, the gardens are some miles away.) “The No. 1 issue across the board was always transportation,” said Bob Grese, who led the arboretum and gardens until 2020. “We were never able to get funding for that.”
-
Comment on BTK-gate, Turkey's massive surveillance state: Internet activity, identity, and personal data of all users in Turkey is collected in ~tech
kovboydan Link ParentI don’t think I’ve ever heard a Turkish speaker say Türkiye in English, even in Turglish groups with frequent code-switching. Not as a political choice but a practical one, really. Super...I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Turkish speaker say Türkiye in English, even in Turglish groups with frequent code-switching.
Not as a political choice but a practical one, really.
Super unrealistic example conversation:
Vedat: Naber kanka?
Evren: Getting ready to go to Turkey next week.
Vedat: Amk. -
Comment on Looking for slim wallet recommendations in ~life.style
kovboydan Link ParentThen the second link would be better than the first: cards on one side, cash in the other.Then the second link would be better than the first: cards on one side, cash in the other.
-
Comment on Looking for slim wallet recommendations in ~life.style
kovboydan LinkI discovered I didn’t need - actually use - more than a few cards daily and downsized from a traditional bifold to this Chums slim bifold. I think I’ve got 2-3 credit cards, two licenses,...I discovered I didn’t need - actually use - more than a few cards daily and downsized from a traditional bifold to this Chums slim bifold.
I think I’ve got 2-3 credit cards, two licenses, insurance cards, and one or two miscellaneous cards in it on any given day (plus some cash).
In cash heavy contexts, I switch to this.
-
Comment on Linguaphiles of Tildes: where do you get your words? in ~humanities.languages
kovboydan LinkYou don’t need to go that far back for fiction with bougie words, e.g Le Guin and Walker Percy drop bougie words like Pitbull drops summer jams.I also love the traditional word hunt through reading authors like Dickens.
You don’t need to go that far back for fiction with bougie words, e.g Le Guin and Walker Percy drop bougie words like Pitbull drops summer jams.
It doesn’t investigate practices that aren’t reported to it, so if people aren’t reporting practices they believe are unlawfully discriminatory…how could they stop them? Because, you know…they wouldn’t know about it?