Expats: The next generation

I hear from lots of folks in the mainland who are thinking about riding a rainbow to the tropics. Usually, three-quarters of these people seem to be guys in their 40s. But lately I’ve noticed an interesting turn in the demographics; quite a number of men and women in their early 20s are contemplating making a tropical leap. What does this say? And, would I advise them to move to Saipan?

The younger set, of course, has always had an element of energetic travelers, frequently backpackers, sometimes altruistic activists, and what have you. But the people I’m hearing from aren’t in these categories. Simply put, they perceive that their futures in the U.S. are bleak, and they’d like to carve out lives for themselves (as working professionals, not as mooches) in venues where life has a freer air to it. They’re typically a couple of years into the work force after college, and have zero optimism about their futures in the U.S. mainland.

These folks are, of course, outliers. I don’t claim that their pessimism about the U.S. economy is shared by the mainstream. The mainstream will follow the herd to matter what.

The tropical destinations most frequently mentioned to me are Thailand, which is sensible enough, since it’s a long time favorite with expats, and, interestingly enough, Vietnam.

Vietnam? Vietnamese in the states are often very successful professionals and business owners, so my guess is that people who witness their success figure that Vietnam must have a lot of smart and capable people. I can’t argue with that theory.

Here’s a destination that none of the younger set seem interested in: The Philippines. It’s like the place isn’t even on the map. This is probably a combination of its inability to develop economically, and all the bad press the R.P. gets in the U.S. I think the expats who prefer the Philippines tend to be older guys who went there during their military days, or other guys who married Pinays, a category well-represented on Saipan.

As for Saipan, well, what of it? Would a reasonably ambitious young person well advised to bet their futures on Saipan? Looking at the strictly mercenary aspect of things, if they aspired to be career bureaucrats, they might be able to bore themselves in the local government network and live off the dwindling stash of Commonwealth coffers (then whine about their shaky pensions when the time comes.) However, none of the younger set who I corresponded with aspired to be patronage suck-butts.

Saipan used to be a great gateway to Asia because of all the Asian managers we had here; China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand were all well-represented. This was, without a doubt, the biggest advantage that the CNMI had for the American professional. After making friends in Saipan, one could get their help and then ease into things in Asia. Many of us have done just that.

But this gig depended on having a vigorous and healthy private sector. Saipan doesn’t have that any longer. Mostly, it’s become a U.S. supported comedy troupe of bureaucrats lecturing other bureaucrats. Furthermore, the numbers of Asian managers are plunging, and probably have been for many years now; consequently it has lost much of its value as a gateway to Asia for the young professional.

Of course, the lifestyle advantages still apply: Arrive in Saipan, and you can hop on a car and drive it (not something I’d care to try in a lot of other tropical venues), set yourself up with an easy to understand apartment lease, know you’ve got access to U.S. doctors and dentists, eat food that meets Western standards of cleanliness, and you can basically have the familiar trappings of U.S. life while being on Asia’s doorstep.

Saipan, like anywhere else, has its unique blend of advantages and drawbacks. What kind of people do we attract?

And why would college educated kids want to bail out of the United States? Where will they go, and why? These are interesting questions.