The history of the United States shows that immigrants have enriched the nation with innovations that lead to explosive job creation. Other countries have taken notice. US regulations are not keeping pace with several key trends: new waves of immigrants from Asia, two-income families, or tech startups that begin with a handful of employees. Author and Entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa outlines the challenges, in The Immigrant Exodus: Why America Is Losing the Global Race to Capture, and this excerpt focuses on the perspective of two immigrant couples, one from India and the other from Belgium.

The increasing speed of currencies, trade and investments has spurred prosperity but for a few. Entrenched in top tiers of government and corporations, the wealthiest follow fast-moving economic forces and reinforce inequality in policies and laws. The unrelenting quest for profits in free capital markets is intense and imposes pressure on workers’ wages. In essence, inequality weakens markets that ultimately generate wealth, heightening competition and reinforcing the political divide. In The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future, Joseph E.