[richsin]

Agreed that the lack of minorities in tech can be traced to dismal STEM programs in high schools, but as a programmer of color, I will tell you, there is a disconnect in the workplace with minorities and the white 'bro culture'. Many minorities come from a different upbringing and when attempting to assimilate into the workplace, you find that you are forced to water down who you are or be alienated. This is not just a skin color issue, I have a white Russian friend that faced the same issues.

I have worked for a startup that went on to IPO and I will name a few things that happened while I was there:

- Was asked by a peer to bring him and his clients coffee during a sales pitch. - Constantly reminded of my lack of white pop-culture knowledge, to a condescending level. (Most knew nothing of black pop-culture, besides Biggie.) - Being shown a picture of a guy they saw in the bar that "looked like me". The only thing we shared was the color of our skin.

I can go on, but my point is that there is much more to this than just getting minorities into technology, it's overcoming the stigma that many minorities face on a daily basis with being treated as novelties. I was born and raised in America, but many times I feel as if there are two America's. I also see minorities who have abandoned their identity for something more generic in order to assimilate and it saddens me, but I respect their decisions. As a first generation American, this is part of the struggle we go through.

There is a huge problem with exposure in tech. I believe the tech industry wants to believe we are better than other industries, when in fact, we are deeply flawed - and this is just one of the many problems we face.