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The real issue is constantly swept under the rug. The only real barrier to POC in STEM in 2021 is POC culture. It's hard to host events for inner city denizens

The real issue is constantly swept under the rug. The only real barrier to POC in STEM in 2021 is POC culture. It's hard to host events for inner city denizens when the vast majority are simply uninterested in such pursuits, or worse, shun each other for having such interests. Lack of representation will not be solved so long as we continue to ignore this inconvenient truth. And it's similar for lack of female representation. Edit: in anticipation of controversy, it is not my attempt to troll or start any flamewars with this comment. It's a perspective that is sorely lacking in discussions addressing diversity in tech, and dangerously so, because if we refuse to question the role of the choices of those who are underrepresented, then the only alternative is to blame people and systems who are not responsible for the issues, which makes the interventions ineffective at best, counterproductive and destabilizing at worst.

usbline 5y ago
I'm a little sad this comment was dead and I couldn't respond earlier... ANYWAY: >the vast majority are simply uninterested in such pursuits I really think this is an "image" problem. I'd say the majority of people are uninterested in technology, so the numbers are already low. But it also has a huge connotation of the people who DO like it being white/asian nerds, or affluent people who can afford to go to college for computer science. People want to fit in, no one wants to be alone. And if you're just some black kid, you're going to feel really out of place. Even if no one is being racist to you, you're still going to FEEL alone (even if you're not). And that's not fun. This isn't just a tech problem. Think about welders or metalworkers. I think about bearded, husky white guys. But I'm sure there's plenty of girls who think swords kick ass but don't want to feel like an outsider. It's understandable for people to feel this way. It's like the complete opposite of the Utopian Hacker idea where just your contributions matter, nothing else. About how good or enthusiastic you are, not about WHO you are. I don't think any single group or initiative can get rid of stereotypes with careers or subcultures. I'm not even sure if it CAN be done.
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type0 5y ago
For those who are not anglophones: POC "means person of color" or "people of color". It probably means non-white. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/POC https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/POC https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=poc https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=poc
whimsicalism 5y ago
These are takes by people who didn't grow up in proximity to Black communities. It's just not true. I attended a STEM program when I was in elementary school and I was the only white person in a cohort of like 50 black kids. More often than not, the programs just aren't set up in Black communities, they aren't advertised, there is no outreach to parents.

usbline 5y ago

I'm a little sad this comment was dead and I couldn't respond earlier... ANYWAY: >the vast majority are simply uninterested in such pursuits I really think this is an "image" problem. I'd say the majority of people are uninterested in technology, so the numbers are already low. But it also has a huge connotation of the people who DO like it being white/asian nerds, or affluent people who can afford to go to college for computer science. People want to fit in, no one wants to be alone. And if you're just some black kid, you're going to feel really out of place. Even if no one is being racist to you, you're still going to FEEL alone (even if you're not). And that's not fun. This isn't just a tech problem. Think about welders or metalworkers. I think about bearded, husky white guys. But I'm sure there's plenty of girls who think swords kick ass but don't want to feel like an outsider. It's understandable for people to feel this way. It's like the complete opposite of the Utopian Hacker idea where just your contributions matter, nothing else. About how good or enthusiastic you are, not about WHO you are. I don't think any single group or initiative can get rid of stereotypes with careers or subcultures. I'm not even sure if it CAN be done.

deleted 5y ago

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type0 5y ago

For those who are not anglophones: POC "means person of color" or "people of color". It probably means non-white. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/POC https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/POC https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=poc https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=poc

whimsicalism 5y ago

These are takes by people who didn't grow up in proximity to Black communities. It's just not true. I attended a STEM program when I was in elementary school and I was the only white person in a cohort of like 50 black kids. More often than not, the programs just aren't set up in Black communities, they aren't advertised, there is no outreach to parents.