Understanding Intersectionality
Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how different social identities—such as race, gender, and class— interact to create unique experiences of discrimination and privilege. Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, the concept challenges the idea that discrimination can be examined in isolated categories.
In the tech industry, intersectionality is often ignored in diversity initiatives, which focus heavily on gender without considering how race or class affects inclusion. For example, many efforts to promote women in tech primarily benefit white women while leaving out the unique challenges faced by Black and Indigenous women.
Implicit Bias in the Tech Industry
Implicit biases are subconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions. In the workplace, these biases shape hiring practices, promotions, and workplace culture; often reinforcing systemic inequalities.
Research has shown that hiring algorithms, designed to remove human bias, often reflect the prejudices of their creators. A 2018 study found that AI hiring tools discriminated against women and people of color, reinforcing existing hiring biases rather than eliminating them. Article Link.
Power Structures in Tech
The transition of semiconductor production from Navajo women to outsourced labor in South Asia is just one example of how marginalized communities are exploited in the tech industry. This follows a broader pattern where labor is taken from communities with less structural power while corporate benefits remain concentrated at the top.
Another overlooked aspect is the role of eugenics in shaping hiring practices. Figures like William Shockley openly supported racist theories that have influenced the way companies justify exclusionary hiring. This historical precedent contributes to modern systemic barriers in the workplace.
What Intersectionality Means to Us
Ben Friedl
"Intersectionality highlights the invisible labor that powers the tech industry but is rarely acknowledged. Studying the history of semiconductor manufacturing made me realize how entire groups—like the Navajo women who helped build the industry—have been erased from tech’s narrative. Recognizing intersectionality means acknowledging these power structures instead of reducing diversity to a surface-level checkbox."
Hani Sulieman
"For me, intersectionality is about visibility and lived experience. As a woman of color in tech, I’ve seen how diversity efforts often prioritize white women while ignoring racial barriers that Black and Brown women still face. The idea that gender equality can be tackled first and racial equality ‘will come later’ is flawed— these struggles are not separate."
Tristan Rivas
"Intersectionality is about understanding how power and privilege shape opportunities. Certain groups are funneled into leadership roles while others are pushed toward low-wage labor. The ‘model minority’ myth, for example, has placed unrealistic expectations on Asian workers in tech, benefiting corporations while reinforcing racial hierarchies. If we want real change, we have to challenge these structures, not just acknowledge them."