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Arrington, Race, and Silicon Valley

whydoeseverythingsuck.com

121–126 of 126 posts

Re: Arrington, Race, and Silicon Valley

#121

People, for the most part, want to work with people that are “like them” or that fit a pattern that appeals to them. I see this argument made a lot. But this argument has a huge hole in it - Chinese and Indians are also not "like them". And yet, Chinese/Indians are not underrepresented. If Hank William's theory were correct, they should be. Any theory concerning the underrepresentation of blacks which does not distin…

There's a video of tech discussion at Stanford with Vivek Wadhwa recalling how hard it was for the first set of Indian entrepreneurs to raise money in the Valley. This was back in the 80's, I think, when you didn't have as many (or any) Indian CEOs, VCs, members of boards etc. The problem was that VCs had no history of funding companies run by Indian CEOs, and there was a reluctance to be the first to conduct an experiment.

Re: Arrington, Race, and Silicon Valley

#122

Thought this was a very interesting read until getting to the comments section where the author agressively went tit-for-tat with a commenter over, what seemed to me, terminology and minor difference of opinion...then I thought, race has nothing to do with it if you're simply a jerk to people.

I felt the same way too. But I still see it as an interesting post that raised valid points. Hank, if you read this, you should try easing off on unnecessary quarrels.

Re: Arrington, Race, and Silicon Valley

#123
post #99
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you never seen any sports? It's men (or women) competing against one another. I suppose you think its also a manifestation of some deep frustration when two white hockey players fight on the ice? Or when two black players fight in the NBA? Or when a black guy fights a white guy, etc. etc.

Not only have I seen them ... I've played them ... NCAA Div 1 Track and Basketball. Anyone fighting in Track and Basketball is fighting because they are getting beat. And because they are generally a whiny Beeyotch. And that was true even back in my day, (early 90's). Never played other sports, (hockey), so I can't say. But if you are fighting in Track or Basketball ... I can guarantee it is because you are a beeyotc…

Well the only athletics I've ever trained and competed in is muay thai and brazilian jiu jitsu, so I'm afraid the point about fighting eludes me.

I think your statements are pretty bigoted and assuming. I took a look at some of your examples:

"Yesterday, a friendly game between men's national basketball teams from China and Brazil turned into a melee when Zhang Qingpeng was fouled hard by a Brazilian player less than a minute into the game."

"You can see the tiny Aussie guy in red swipe at the ball not once, but twice at 0:36-0:37. The ball is being held up high by the Chinese player (rightfully so), and the short Aussie looks like he's swiping (or could be throwing punches - hard to tell) high near the Chinese player's face, which is not going to be taken so kindly by the Chinese rebounder.

At that point, the Chinese rebounder is intimidating the short Aussie, then the Aussie teammates runs in (from the bottom right of the screen) and push the Chinese rebounder. That's when the Chinese bench clears and the brawl breaks loose."

I really don't see how you come to any conclusion that fighting = racial frustration. A cuban tae kwon do competitor lost his temper, kicked a ref and got banned from the Olympics. Ron Artest jumped into the stands. Team Canada once had a bench brawl with the Soviets in hockey.

Race really has nothing to do with anything in these instances.

Re: Arrington, Race, and Silicon Valley

#124
Rural America operates this way. People want to know who your last name is and you can get a lot of social capital as a newcomer by working at the "right" places and being introduced by the stakeholders. No big shock here. I learned very quickly pitching that this was a relationship-based business and if you lack those critical relationships or a network that can fuel what you're trying to do, then there's no point in wasting time if you have access to other things.

In other words, why look for a lottery ticket when there are a bevy of other ways to make money conventionally? I get the arguments lodged here, but it just comes off as whining because the people involved don't give a shit and the people watching on TV will perceive it as whining. The problems go back to education, there is pervasive and systemic bias that gets demonstrated throughout our society for a bevy of reasons. Problem is, the tide has turned and people aren't as sympathetic to these causes when you compare them with state sponsored discrimination. In the absence of that, there's just not a whole lot people can expect other than to look for their wormhorm towards what they want.

Math and science are a good place to start.

Re: Arrington, Race, and Silicon Valley

#125
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know what immigrant population, statistically, is even more successful than the stereotypical "model minority" Chinese and Indians? Immigrants from actual Africa.

How many of them are white African immigrants (i.e. from RSA, Rhodesia, etc.), or are from Arab North Africa (Egypt), though?

Nil.
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