1167 



are not prime factors." ^^^ In the developing countries where the patri- 

 archical tradition is strong, a premium is put on age. Age is the crite- 

 rion of professional competence and wisdom, and young people, how- 

 ever well trained or qualitied, find it difficult or impossible to have their 

 talents recognized as readily as in the United States or certain other 

 Western countries. What may ordinarily be a traditional generational 

 conflict can be further exacerbated by student training abroad and re- 

 entry efforts after years of absence at a higher level of expectation 

 when entry at a much lower level would conform to established tra- 

 dition.^*^" 



Prestige can be acquired quickly in America by foreign scientists, 

 engineei-s, and physicians. In some instances foreign birth can enlarge 

 rather than diminish that prestige. Careers in these fields of study 

 command respect in America in contrast with some other countries 

 and cultures, so that even moderate success can open the way for 

 achieving prestige and social status. 



Another aspect of America's social egalitarianism that acts as a 

 "pull" force is the incidence of marriage of foreign students, scholars, 

 and other professionals with American citizens. Marriage between, 

 for example, some traditionalist-oriented Middle Eastern men and 

 American girls can make it impossible for them to return home and 

 reenter their traditionalist societies.^" British scientists with Ameri- 

 can wives have been especially vulnerable to brain drain. Accord- 

 ing to one study of the correlation between marriage to North 

 Americans and brain drain to North America, a large majority (92 

 percent) of the British scientists with North American wives were 



^"Silj, op. clt., p. 9. The following might be considered a classic example of the sort of 



the cast were stars from the Metropolitan Opera and two leading British opera singers. 

 They were supported by a chorus of some 40 singers and a full orchestra of symphonic pro- 

 portions. The Opera House at the Kennedy Center was filled to capacity. The conductor of 

 this very difficult and substantial ensemble elfort was James Conlon, a 23-year-old graduate 

 from Juilliard. Mr. Richard D. Fletcher, music critic of The Christian (fcience Monitor made 

 this comment on his professional competence : "The Verdi score 'Macbeth' has never sounded 

 more vigorous to my ears, largely due to the phenomenal gifts of young James Conlon, 

 surely destined to become one of our greatest opera conductors." (The Christian Science 

 Monitor, Sept. 29, 1973, p. 12.) 



*» Fox, op. cit., p. 74. For experiences in India, see Dandekar, op. clt., pp. 205-206. 

 Dandekar quotes Sunidar Suri, an Indian scholar who studied in the West, returned to India 

 and then left in dissatisfaction : "It Is my disillusionment with my peers In India that made 

 of me an Intellectual refugee. ... I intend to stay in and continue to teach in Germany, 

 the U.S.A., or Canada or Britain or some other western country, or Australia or New 

 Zealand. I have no intention at present of returning to India to take up a permanent or long- 

 term academic research or any other position there." Surl went on to say : "I am a drained 

 brain." 



An Italian physicist recounted his experience : "I had no opportunities, at least my future 

 didn't look very bright. Older professor types never gave people any responsibilities. They 

 would just give them fellowships and say you can study in the library, don't bother me for 

 a couple of years ... a young person had no idea what his real worth was ... in America 

 instead I found that they do give you responsibilities and of course you can flog them or 

 you can find out yourself what yon are." (Quoted in, Hawkes, op. cit., p. 24) "The reason 

 I left home," said a mechanical engineer, "was not to come to America, but to leave Greece. 

 Greece for an 18-year-old person is not the best country to be in — Greece is a wonderful 

 country if vou are 45 or 50. Here I feel quite happy because I am 35 and I couldn't think 

 of any'otheV country in the world where I would like to be, being 35." (Quoted in, Hawkes, 

 op. cit.. p. 24.) T-. .. 



3" Said discusses the problem of intermarriage and notes the complications Middle East- 

 ern students can create for themselves by marriage to American girls. (Said, op. clt., 

 pp. 15 and 17.) 



Habib Naficy attributes marriage between Iranian students and American girls as a 

 cause of brain drain. He writes : "Moral Indebtedness to the American wives who have 

 supported their husbands' study in the United States and do not want to leave (fre- 

 quently spurious inasmuch as the husband's gloomy view of life in Iran is usually the 

 basis of Information upon wliich the American wife forms her own attitude.)" (Isaficy, 

 op. cit., pp. 68-69.) 



