In the 1960s, Pres. Lyndon Baines Johnson signed a major change in immigration rules into law. Eliminating per country quotas, the move made it easier for immigrants with professional experience and education to come to the Unites States.
From that moment forward, Pakistanis began coming to the U.S. in waves.
Dallas and Houston are now top destinations for Pakistani immigrants. In both cities, Pakistanis have high rates of working in elite positions – a contrast to opportunities available to those remaining in Pakistan today.
Dr. T.V. Paul, a professor of international relations at Montreal’s McGill University, says this isn't because Pakistan is a failed nation.
In his new book "The Warrior State: Pakistan and the Contemporary World," Paul describes a warrior state as one that gives priority to national security over other critical interests. "It ignores other elements of national wellbeing, such as trade, such as welfare, and as a result, it diverts enormous energy to the enterprise of security,” he says.
Paul's book looks at 25 years of history in the region. "It's a big-picture book," he says, "trying to explain the puzzle of why Pakistan has not become strong despite this enormous focus on national security, unlike the European states or the East Asian states, like Korea or Taiwan."
Hear Texas Standard host David Brown ask Dr. T.V. Paul about Pakistan's geopolitical struggle and how he thinks the nation can become a stronger, more humane and tolerant state.
