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> Out of all the companies that I've worked in the midwest, I've ever had a co-worker that was a black software engineer. I'm really sorry you had such a polar
by EADGBE 9y ago
> Out of all the companies that I've worked in the midwest, I've ever had a co-worker that was a black software engineer.
I'm really sorry you had such a polarizing experience.
But just to give an anecdote of my own, in a much smaller midwest hub, over five years and two jobs I've worked with:
- A young woman from Russia
- An African American (29% of the population, a hair under Chicago's)
- An Indian (this isn't extremely uncommon, though)
- A Malaysian
- Multiple women over 50
All these people were/are great developers. Most of them worked above me.
Your experience was completely unlike my own. I'd hate for it to be so hastily packaged together as one.
- ejnulls 9y agoI grew up in the Midwest in a suburb of a small city. Looking at census data, it was 95%+ white while I was growing up. The most common profession for the minorities' parents I went to school with seemed to be...physician (mostly Indian, Middle Eastern, Asian). Minorities were not really looked down on where I grew up, though there was certainly racism around. There were just not many minorities to be racist towards! If you go into the "big" cities in the Midwest it's a different story (I've heard all sorts of racist anecdotes from friends in Chicago and Indianapolis), but out where I grew up it didn't seem to be a thing. Personally, my parents were much more judgmental of non-Christians (Judaism, Hindu, Islam). Dating people of other skin colors was a non-issue, but when my brother brought home a nice, white Jewish girl my father certainly wasn't pleased.