Both you and Norm have put things well. Tony, although he wasn't strictly a programmer, one of the best people I know is an Indonesian immigrant who adapted very well to America. Yet just the same, some of the least enjoyable experiences have been with H1B's who never quite got a grasp of the programming domain.

Actually, come to think of it, some of this is due mainly to following a rigorous waterfall development approach, not an iterative approach. Needing everything specified up front rather than developing it. That may be more the fault of the companies involved than the people themselves.