Recognizing Latinas in Tech
In a rapidly changing job market, #STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills have become increasingly valuable, with careers in these fields ranking among the fastest-growing and highest-paying professions. However, due to the historical marginalization and exclusion of Latinx communities from STEM education access, Latinas only account for 3 percent of the STEM workforce today.
In an effort to excite Latinx communities about STEM fields and foster their financial independence, groups across the country are educating and mentoring Latinas in STEM. But despite the great work done by these STEM outreach programs, the reality for women of color in STEM fields isn't as enticing.?
The Challenge
We can better understand the challenges faced by Latinas in STEM by looking through the lens of intersectionality — the unique impact both gender and race have for women of color.
Women make up almost exactly half of all recent STEM graduates , yet they account for less than a quarter of all graduates in the 20 highest-paying STEM fields, and more than two thirds of graduates in the 20 lowest-paying majors. Perhaps as a result, the well-documented gender pay gap is even more pronounced in STEM , with women making about 74% as much as the median male STEM worker — compared to 80% across all occupations.
Latinx STEM workers also face a substantial ethnic pay gap, earning about 83% as much as a typical White STEM worker. Suffering from both pay gaps at once, Latinas find themselves at the bottom of the STEM pay scale, earning only 63% as much as the median White male STEM worker.
For those who do manage to get fat paychecks, many face almost daily instances of discrimination and microaggressions, from sexual harassment to painful double standards. For example, in a 2015 study published by The Center for WorkLife Law , 46.9 percent of Latina scientists reported having been mistaken for administrative or custodial staff — a problem experienced less frequently by White (32.4%) and Asian-American (23.3%) women scientists.
The Solution
Across the country, groups have emerged to educate, mentor, and pique the interest of low-income communities of color in STEM fields.
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For instance, in Miami, CODeLLA offers Latinx (and other underrepresented) girls aged 8 to 13 an eight-week tech entrepreneurship and coding immersion program. In Chicago, Latina Girls Code hosts workshops and hackathons that teach brown girls and teens technology languages and entrepreneurial skills. And in Los Angeles, DIY Girls provides underserved female youth (97 percent Latina) from 4th to 8th grade with after-school classes and summer programs where they build prototypes of products that can help solve a problem in their community.
Honoring Latinas in Tech
Against all odds, there are many Latinas in STEM who are solving major scientific problems, developing innovative products that save lives, and establishing programs for Latinx communities that ensure the presence of women of color in science, technology, engineering, and math for years to come.
As we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, The Channel Company is proud to share and honor some of the rich histories, cultures, achievements, and contributions of Latinx communities. Check out some of these incredible Latinas making major waves in the fields they’re widely underrepresented in:
The Channel Company provides space where the multifaceted history of the global culture is celebrated. Join the Inclusive Leadership Network to learn more about leading through global change with inclusivity. Visit www.InclusiveLeadershipNet.com for more intriguing diversity- and equity-related content.