One of my favorite blogs, Expat Alley, recently posted about the JWT’s list of 100 Things to Watch in 2010. I usually don’t pay attention to such lists, but it was actually pretty interesting. Of the 100, one really grabbed my attention -  Alternative Measures of Prosperity.

Apparently, countries such as France have changed the way they measure the well-being of their inhabitants to better reflect overall happiness. These countries decided that looking at economic indicators do not indicate well-being as well as family relationships and access to health care.

I think that the traditional indices have their places in economic forums and fiscal planning; but, to really determine whether or not people are well, I think the alternative measures are more accurate.  As someone who has chosen alternative places to live, I am actually very excited at the prospect of these indicators being used by more countries.

As more and more countries adopt these measures and make the results public, it will be very interesting how they are ranked. I am sure that the countries people sometimes perceive as “troubled” will rank much better than expected. When people (usually those living in the US) give me funny looks when I talk about the places I’ve chosen to live, I think it has more to do with moving to the unfamiliar – even though they claim that they could never give up their US standard of living. Also, there is the perception that people from all over the world leave their countries to come to the US for a better life. So, why on earth would someone leave? I will tell you my answer at a later date, but I suspect the over 1 million American expatriates have similar reasons.

What do you think about the alternative measurements for prosperity? Do you think it can change the way we view life in other countries?

Photo credits: Dollars! by pfala and The Earth is God’s Canvas. by Catch the dream

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One of the purposes of this blog is to see how immigrant cultures blend with the American culture. It’s not often that I get to see how two different immigrant cultures blend, in addition to the assimilation to American norms.  

Stephen Talty is an author who recently wrote about his reaction to his two year-old noticing race for the first time. His perspective is interesting because he is a second generation Irish immigrant who is married to a first generation Haitian immigrant. Here’s an excerpt from his article:

I want Asher to care about his family’s story. How my father had to leave high school in Ireland, before he graduated, to go to work for his family. How, though he was as smart as any of his kids, he came to America and put in 30 years as a construction worker (which is not a job you want to have in the wintertime in Buffalo) because that’s what men without high school degrees did. How Marie’s father, a civil engineer in Haiti, had to drive a taxi in New York City because his credentials weren’t accepted here. How my mother worked as a nurse’s aide, and 400 miles away, Asher’s Haitian grandmother spent her days as a nurse. How they all saved money to send every one of their kids to college, but how my parents couldn’t justify spending money on themselves.

What I find intriguing is that the experiences of the two different cultures are so alike. So, while on the surface the two cultures are worlds apart (Mr. Talty talks more about those challenges in the article), I think there are many more similarities that promote shared values.

Do you agree?

 
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