Diversity in tech is a hot topic. I just read a fantastic article by Nicole Sanchez, called More white women does not equal tech diversity. I think this article highlights a point that I've noticed very strongly as I gaze around San Francisco's streets: With the influx of all these tech professionals, SF now looks like an ocean of, well, white people.

Let's just look at Google. First of all, this article I found from 2014 with some stats starts off by listing that Google has only 17% women. I ask, what percentage of THOSE women are minorities? Beyond that, White = 61%, Asian = 30%, Hispanic = 3%, Black = 2%. (Not sure about the last 4%). But this is disgusting! Even with these percentages, 72% of leadership positions are taken up by white employees and 23% goes to Asians. It's simply not enough. And can we mention the queer population? Like... at all? San Francisco sure has gotten a LOT less queer, in my opinion. But that's because the skyrocketing rent prices have ended up turning away displaced gay youth who come to this Mecca for asylum.

As far as solutions go, I think Nicole Sanchez points it out greatly: what may work for white women does not necessarily work for women of other minorities, or men of other minorities, for that matter. It shouldn't have to be about strategy. I think some of these high profit tech companies could do with a little more outreach. Why doesn't Google send their top programmers to volunteer their time and teach at an afterschool program in a school that is NOT predominantly white and is NOT a private school? How about a regular old public school? It's just a matter of spreading the knowledge. Once we empower those minorities to learn these things, they can apply and GET these jobs. I don't think Google or any other company would flat out not hire a capable employee based on race (at least I would hope not), but let's TRAIN them! Let's throw resources at that! GO!