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My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

latimes.com

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Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#131

Post by jmpman »

hellocs1 wrote: post #125
jmpman wrote: post #107

I used to work at IBM and a new black engineer joined around the time I joined the team. We both got stuck with the grunt work and bonded over late night conference room video game projector sessions, while running regression tests. I’ve gone on to a relatively successful career outside of IBM, but he was hit in a layoff, with his job sent overseas. Instead of continuing in tech, he moved home, and joined his fathers…

Any guesses on why Atlanta companies would rather hire African / Caribbean engineers than African American engineers?

That’s well beyond my knowledge of race issues. Maybe others have some data. I’ve seen it at a number of companies. To the point that before a black engineer speaks, Ive got a Bayesian probability precomputed on what accent I’m likely to hear.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#132

Post by 77697throw »

goog-anon wrote: post #96
anon9922 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it fair to assume then that when you interview an Asian candidate, you will hold them to a much higher bar than black candidates? Or perhaps under no circumstances would you pass them for a role that another Black candidate is applying for? I'm Asian, worked at FANG, have never discriminated against someone based on their ethnicity and frankly find your actions shortsided and regressive. You're fighting perceived…

>I'm Asian, worked at FANG, have never discriminated against someone based on their ethnicity and frankly find your actions shortsided and regressive. You're fighting perceived racism with actual racism. No one think they have ever discriminated against someone based on ethnicity. Even Donald Trump sincerely believes in his heart of hearts that he is the least racist person who has ever walked this good earth. But ac…

Minorities fighting against one another for crumbs.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#133

Post by 77697throw »

rat87 wrote: post #64
tasogare wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and non-Asian minorities Ah, the classical trick of excluding data points that don't fit the narrative. It's far more convenient to blame the Bad White Man for everything than to ask the real questions.

racism is a major problem and a how to fight racism in hiring as well as society is a real question. Asian minorities also suffer from racism but it doesn't necessarily work the same way or have the same stereotypes attached

Exactly. Talk about affirmative action in academics, and most people will agree it’s something to consider.

Talk about affirmative action in sports, and people will laugh.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#134

Post by yawaramin »

SpicyLemonZest wrote: post #84
human20190310 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does a person have an obligation to respect the rules of a system that, at best, only pretends to treat them fairly?

There's sometimes room for civil disobedience, where you openly stand up to authority and say you can't follow the rules because they're unconscionable. Secretly breaking the rules because the system isn't fair is like lying because the truth will get you in trouble. It doesn't right any wrong or effect any change; you're just taking advantage of everyone who assumes you're an honest person.

> Secretly breaking the rules because the system isn't fair is like lying because the truth will get you in trouble.

So according to you, Jews in Nazi Germany should have come out as Jews instead of pretending to pass off as gentile?

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#135

Post by cblum »

huxflux wrote: post #124
cblum wrote: post #22

> Microsoft released a chatbot named Tay, designed to learn from Twitter users. Within 24 hours, Tay claimed the Holocaust never happened, professed hatred for women and suggested that black people should be hanged. > “Garbage in, garbage out,” software engineers say. Likewise, racism in, racism out. Biased developers produce biased code. The author either made zero effort to understand how things work, or willingly…

Source?

The linked article.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#136

Post by Consultant32452 »

jmpman wrote: post #107

I used to work at IBM and a new black engineer joined around the time I joined the team. We both got stuck with the grunt work and bonded over late night conference room video game projector sessions, while running regression tests. I’ve gone on to a relatively successful career outside of IBM, but he was hit in a layoff, with his job sent overseas. Instead of continuing in tech, he moved home, and joined his fathers…

Not just African Americans. In my experience Hispanics are just as non-existent in tech, and they are a larger percentage of the population than AAs.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#137

Post by projektfu »

rongenre wrote: post #76
bsanr wrote: post #26

Here's hoping that HN can buck Law 619 of the Internet: the comment section of all articles which mention data that shows social, economic, or institutional disparities which negatively effect black people will largely be concerned not with the implications of that information, but with questioning the authenticity or reliability of that information; or else, simply with thinly-veiled racism. I'll keep a running list…

I never see it as thinly-veiled. Just-world fallacy is pervasive.

Usually people just need an eye-opener to jump out of the just world fallacy. But some people really cling to it, the way they cling to their original viewpoint in every argument. The person could have experienced the progression of a manager through their company who got started there because he was friends with so and so or went to the same prep school, and because of his personality traits continues to get promoted even though his record is subpar. They may have even complained about it in another thread. Yet, when it comes to race, they assume that this perfect meritocracy is open to everyone.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#138

Post by goog-anon »

handlegoeshere wrote: post #104
goog-anon wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'm Asian, worked at FANG, have never discriminated against someone based on their ethnicity and frankly find your actions shortsided and regressive. You're fighting perceived racism with actual racism. No one think they have ever discriminated against someone based on ethnicity. Even Donald Trump sincerely believes in his heart of hearts that he is the least racist person who has ever walked this good earth. But ac…

When using Asian here, are you referring to Indians or Chinese? As a black engineer, I have also experienced the same discrimination from Indians.

Both. But I'd definitely give the edge to Indians. My historical pass rate for Indian interviewers is dismal, like 2/25 (going back to when I was 16 y/o applying at KFC). I've had slightly better success with East asians. We talk about 'institutionalized' racism here in the US, but racism/discrimination is institutionalized in Indian culture and religions, and that's sadly not going away.

I wish there was a tactful way of requesting non-Indian interviewers, but there really isn't. There is no bigger waste of time than when you receive an interview schedule and see the names of the interviewers and 4/5 are Indian. Earlier in my career I'd go for the practice but I wouldn't even bother now tbh.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#139

Post by Consultant32452 »

hellocs1 wrote: post #125
jmpman wrote: post #107

I used to work at IBM and a new black engineer joined around the time I joined the team. We both got stuck with the grunt work and bonded over late night conference room video game projector sessions, while running regression tests. I’ve gone on to a relatively successful career outside of IBM, but he was hit in a layoff, with his job sent overseas. Instead of continuing in tech, he moved home, and joined his fathers…

Any guesses on why Atlanta companies would rather hire African / Caribbean engineers than African American engineers?

I have only a wild guess. Only the most successful people from another country are offered the opportunity to come here. So the random native Nigerian who has moved to the US is probably a better candidate than your random native American of any race.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#140

Post by jmpman »

Consultant32452 wrote: post #136
jmpman wrote: post #107

I used to work at IBM and a new black engineer joined around the time I joined the team. We both got stuck with the grunt work and bonded over late night conference room video game projector sessions, while running regression tests. I’ve gone on to a relatively successful career outside of IBM, but he was hit in a layoff, with his job sent overseas. Instead of continuing in tech, he moved home, and joined his fathers…

Not just African Americans. In my experience Hispanics are just as non-existent in tech, and they are a larger percentage of the population than AAs.

I’ve worked with a much greater number of Hispanics. In my limited exposure, Hispanic women seem to do especially well.
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