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To the Editor.–John Racy's personal account of his immigration to the United States (Arch Surg 109:365, 1974) is a timely piece on an important topic. Allow me to add one item from the viewpoint of a student of US immigration policy in general.
In your editorial comment, you note that Dr. Racy's return is good news for both him and the United States. There is a third party at interest, usually ignored in the immigration equation: the country of origin. Dr. Racy graphically catalogues the conditions of his native land, which he found unacceptable. How are these conditions ever to be rectified if those who object most to them leave rather than work for their resolution? As Dr. Racy notes, "foreign physicians are often in the forefront of their countries' Westernization."
If the United States truly wishes to help improve the medical care in the less developed countries by