Restoring the J-1 Visa Program’s Purpose

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Posted on 03/03/2025 6:13:07 AM PST by karpov

The J-1 visa program was created under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 and was designed as more than an avenue for international students and scholars to visit the United States. At its core, the program was a diplomatic initiative designed to strengthen cultural and educational ties between the United States and the world. The preamble of the act states:

The purpose of this Act is to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations. (emphasis added)

This language underscores that the program was designed to cultivate a deeper understanding of American civic principles, not simply to facilitate temporary academic exchanges. The act’s specific emphasis on showcasing American “educational and cultural achievements” logically extends to introducing participants to our republic’s foundational civic principles: democracy, constitutional governance, and civil liberties. Without understanding these foundational elements, how can J-1 visitors truly grasp the American experience the act envisions them witnessing?

Yet many universities resist instilling these civic principles in American students, never mind international ones. Expecting colleges and universities to pass these values on to international visitors may thus seem ambitious. However, higher-education institutions participating in the program and receiving remuneration as a consequence of participation should be made to do their part.

(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...

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1 posted on 03/03/2025 6:13:07 AM PST by karpov

To: karpov

2 posted on 03/03/2025 6:18:11 AM PST by JSM_Liberty

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