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Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

bloomberg.com

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Re: Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

#41

Post by rndgermandude »

sjg007 wrote: post #16
ralusek wrote: post #8

For the millionth time. The distribution of populations not lining up with the general population distributions is not indicative of discrimination. Not to mention that the "anti-brown people" narrative absolutely dissolves in the face of the massive overrepresentation of Indians and other Asians. To say that Silicon Valley has a "race problem" and only include the employment statistics as they relate to the populati…

The article cites data from the government on percentages of black, hispanic, and women in tech in Silicon Valley vs those same populations in tech nationwide. You would expect the percentages to be statistically equal.

No, you wouldn't, at least when it comes to the racial composition. SV (and surrounding area) has a very different demographic makeup than e.g. NY or Chicago or Houston. I'm not saying this explains all the differences between SV and nationwide, but it surely accounts for some.

PS: E.g. google tells me that the Santa Clara population is 2.5% black, while it's 12.6% nationwide (2010 census). The article now says nationwide the tech industry is 14.5% black; 14.5 / 12.6 = 1.15, 2.5 * 1.15 = 2.9; So adjusted for demographics I'd expect the SV number to be 2.9% black employees in tech after adjusting for demographics of the area, compared to the 2.6% the article states.

However, it might be that the low black population in that area is highly correlated to the hiring practices of the tech companies in that area, or it may not be.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

#42

Post by vinceiiikensin »

ralusek wrote: post #8

For the millionth time. The distribution of populations not lining up with the general population distributions is not indicative of discrimination. Not to mention that the "anti-brown people" narrative absolutely dissolves in the face of the massive overrepresentation of Indians and other Asians. To say that Silicon Valley has a "race problem" and only include the employment statistics as they relate to the populati…

I once went on an interview to Uber in Palo Alto. At lunchtime, when we went to the cafeteria, I saw most of the 200+ workers were either Chinese or Indian, sitting in their prospective table. Same with LinkedIn and workday in Santa Clara. I don’t see any racisms in Silicon Valley

Re: Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

#43

Post by ingsoc79 »

darawk wrote: post #7

More like journalism is using race to hide its jealousy problem. Tech now has the power, influence, and compensation that journalist used to have, and they're mad about it. Most of these companies go way out of their way to recruit minorities and women. If you believe that not having enough of them in tech companies is a problem, you're going to have to look further down the funnel, to college major choices and hones…

One look at the website of Seattle's Garfield High School (34% black/latino) CS Club website pretty much sums it up: http://www.garfieldcs.com/

The makeup is similar at the college level: sitting in on CS courses at UW you see a sea of white, east asian, and south asian faces. I can count the number of black or latino students (out of the several hundred enrolled students I saw) on two hands.

It's a pipeline problem, full stop.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

#44

Post by daenz »

This push towards intellectual and cultural uniformity is so incredibly anti-diversity. "All cultures must have the same interests as white people" is essentially what is being said after you account for all the various "systemic privileges."

EDIT>> to put it another way, white people consider something "wrong" if different demographics aren't interested in the same subjects as they are, at the same rate. It's the ultimate self-centered worldview.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

#45

Post by YayamiOmate »

I am very interested what the other half of black engineers do and why. Do they stay unemployed, or choose a different career?

I have a hard time imagining that so much educated engineers who can be effetively underpaid are not being capitalized on. That sounds like a wasted business opportunity.

Businesses outsource work to india or east europe, why not exploit locally? I've read they also import workers on hb1 because they can pay less for same talent, so this doesn't add up for me. I can't belive racism vs black people specifically wins vs cash on such large scale, since it doesn't vs other races.

Interesting.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

#47

Post by felinista »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #39
felinista wrote: post #9

If lack of diversity isn't a problem, why aren't these companies open with their figures? Why go to such extents? There's also research to suggest women and minorities are underpaid relative to their male, white counterparts, shouldn't companies fix that?

Because the media coverage would turn into a "problem" that would be a PR issue.

Doubtful it can get worse than it already is, lack of diversity in tech is a widespread issue and known all too well.

Even the general public is in a sense aware of it, when people picture stereotypical programmers, I doubt they have a black Muslim woman in mind.

Transparency is important.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

#48

Post by YayamiOmate »

I am very interested what the other half of black engineers do and why. Do they stay unemployed, or choose a different career?

I have a hard time imagining that so much educated engineers who can be effetively underpaid are not being capitalized on. That sounds like a wasted business opportunity.

Businesses outsource work to india or east europe, why not exploit locally? I've read they also import workers on hb1 because they can pay less for same talent, so this doesn't add up for me. I can't belive racism vs black people specifically wins vs money on such large scale, since it doesn't vs other races.

Interesting.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

#49

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

felinista wrote: post #32
crististm wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it a crazy idea the reason is that the figures themselves are irrelevant?

Why are they irrelevant? Why can't the data be used to address this disparity? If certain groups shy away from STEM careers, why not try to do something about it?

All of the companies named in the article are indeed trying to do something about it, and almost certainly use the data internally to address it.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

#50

Post by jonathankoren »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #33
sjg007 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article cites data from the government on percentages of black, hispanic, and women in tech in Silicon Valley vs those same populations in tech nationwide. You would expect the percentages to be statistically equal.

No you probably wouldn't, as Silicon Valley attracts the top X% of the tech population due to the pay, the status of the companies hiring, VC money floating around, etc.

Are you saying the top X% is racially skewed? Because all things being equal, if the only difference between the two groups is color of their skin, I'd say that was a textbook definition of racial bias.
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