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* We ask for gender on our applications, but we haven't asked for race/ethnicity, which is why we don't have the answer to your first question. * We see that i

by katm 9y ago

* We ask for gender on our applications, but we haven't asked for race/ethnicity, which is why we don't have the answer to your first question. * We see that it does for female founders. * Total number of submissions * Gender is reported in the applications. We asked founders in the batch to self-report for race/ethnicity.

sachinag 9y ago
Why ask for gender but not race/ethnicity?
- chronic6h2 9y ago
  Because there are more females than Hispanics/Blacks (that complain, at least).
- chronic62a 9y ago
  > Why ask for gender but not race/ethnicity? Out of everyone who complains, there are more females complaining than Hispanics/Blacks.
- keerthiko 9y ago
  This is an excellent question. If I were running the applications I might have done the same (ask gender but not race/ethnicity), because gender just feels more generally okay to ask. But if the purpose of asking is for nothing more than stats recording, then why not ask ethnicity as well? I think it lies in that people fear being biased against for reporting their ethnicity, either via affirmative action (white/asian) or racism (everyone else).
  - ringaroundthetx 9y ago
    > I think it lies in that people fear being biased against for reporting their ethnicity, either via affirmative action (white/asian) or racism (everyone else). Hm, two flaws about that dichotomy: 1) Many people that aren't white or asian also feel that affirmative action is a bias against their actual ability to contribute to society. For example, not everyone would see getting into YC as a monumental achievement, but even if they did the idea that it would be belittled because of a perception that their skin tone filled a quote is the same being biased against. 2) Many people call this racism as well. In this context, it would primarily be a reference to an institutionalized circumstance.
philipodonnell 9y ago
That seems like a miss if the goal is to report on proportional representation (as it does for genders) and not just the raw data.
crispytx 9y ago
Just curious, how many applications did you receive for Summer 2017?
Powerofmene 9y ago
>* We see that it does for female founders. ...for this specific batch. Is parent questioning if this is historically the case or suggesting this is a move by YC at gender diversity? Just curious.

by katm 9y ago

sachinag 9y ago

Why ask for gender but not race/ethnicity?

chronic6h2 9y ago
Because there are more females than Hispanics/Blacks (that complain, at least).
chronic62a 9y ago
> Why ask for gender but not race/ethnicity? Out of everyone who complains, there are more females complaining than Hispanics/Blacks.
keerthiko 9y ago
This is an excellent question. If I were running the applications I might have done the same (ask gender but not race/ethnicity), because gender just feels more generally okay to ask. But if the purpose of asking is for nothing more than stats recording, then why not ask ethnicity as well? I think it lies in that people fear being biased against for reporting their ethnicity, either via affirmative action (white/asian) or racism (everyone else).
- ringaroundthetx 9y ago
  > I think it lies in that people fear being biased against for reporting their ethnicity, either via affirmative action (white/asian) or racism (everyone else). Hm, two flaws about that dichotomy: 1) Many people that aren't white or asian also feel that affirmative action is a bias against their actual ability to contribute to society. For example, not everyone would see getting into YC as a monumental achievement, but even if they did the idea that it would be belittled because of a perception that their skin tone filled a quote is the same being biased against. 2) Many people call this racism as well. In this context, it would primarily be a reference to an institutionalized circumstance.

philipodonnell 9y ago

That seems like a miss if the goal is to report on proportional representation (as it does for genders) and not just the raw data.

crispytx 9y ago

Just curious, how many applications did you receive for Summer 2017?

Powerofmene 9y ago

>* We see that it does for female founders. ...for this specific batch. Is parent questioning if this is historically the case or suggesting this is a move by YC at gender diversity? Just curious.