Without getting into too much an argument that there is no real “hispanic” person, etc.
I’m looking around my small office the other day, thinking over the history of when we were over 300 employees to today when we’re right around 50 or so. I realize, that we have white geeks, black geeks, asian geeks, arabian geeks, and Indian geeks. Heck, we even have two Russian Geeks.
We don’t, it seems, have any hispanic geeks nor can I ever remember any. I live in Colorado, disproportianally hispanic (compared to the national average. Hispanics are our #2 represented race). I don’t think the company discriminates. I’ve been involved in a number of technical interviews and don’t remember seeing a traditionally hispanic name on a resume nor meeting an apparent hispanic in an interview.
I know a lot of Hispanic geeks. Most I met at school (U of South Florida in Tampa) or at work in Cincinnati (for a Fortune 100 company). One of the geekiest was a Mexican guy who started his own company refurbishing cell phones straight after graduation and is, I hear, still doing quite well. Another, a Salvadoran, quit big business and relocated to Michigan to get his PhD and now teaches at the University level. Several other still work in middle management positions in big business.
How do people in Colorado define “hispanic” anyway. Technically I’m probably one, but no one ever believes because me skin is too light.
In South Texas, the common term for anyone whose family originated in Mexico, the islands, Central, and South America are “Hispanic”. I know more to the west people throw in “Latino.”
Hispanic isn’t a skin color thing, many families kept to Spanish (Spain) lineage and have quite bright features. Many Jewish people also settled in Mexico after the numerous displacements of history (the purges of Russia to name one). So you may know some “Hispanic” “geeks” already.
Growing up in that culture has taught me there are plenty of “geeky” Hispanic people. How do I know? Because we played computer games and discussed elements of programming.
Now…why would the number not be so high? In Colorado I am assuming the numbers of recently imagrated people is rather high. With the globalization of culture, people from poorer families are moving out and seeking their fortunes. This is counterstriking the oft used ideals of staying “close to the family”.
Being a geek can get expensive, so give it a few more years and the continued strong economic cycle. You’re geek buddies will arrive shortly.
There are plenty of Hispanics where I work - a technical support call center.
They aren’t exactly geeks, though. I think it may be a cultural thing - I think the Hispanic community seems to be more supportive of those who pursue more intellectual, technical jobs. A white or black kid who spends his time studying hard is going to be made fun of a lot by his peers, and probably has trouble maintaining a good social life.
I’m not a geek, but i am half puerto rican and I live in arkansas. I used to live in new jersey. I believe i am the only hispanic in arkansas who is not mexican. everytime i tell someone i am part hispanic, or they ask me, they assume i’m mexican. it’s annoying really. bah.
I’ve known a bunch of Hispanic/Mexican-type geeks in my day, ranging from the typically geeky to the super-sharp ubergeeks. Don’t think any of them are on the SDMB, tho.
Houston one checking in. web designer by trade, but I’ve studied some programming, I’m a video game geek, movie geek, music geek and budding book nerd.
I guess I’m not the traditional hispanic in the sense that I don’t celebrate my culture (my mom and I have a lot of fights about this one). I speak no spanish what-so-ever. I never much pay attention to cinco de may or the other one (diez y sies?). even though I check off ‘latino’ in the census box, during phone surveys I always acknowledge that I’m ‘more american than hispanic’.
Hispanic geek-girl, here I am!
The hispanic geeks in my part of CA are kind of closet geeks, though. Not geeks at first glance. Sometimes one must not flaunt their geekiness when one’s abuela is still scared of the microwave and won’t use an answering machine. If I called my Mama a technophobe, she just might slap me.
I’ve known plenty of geeks from Spanish-speaking countries or whose ancestry comes from Spanish-speaking countries. You wanna check out my university’s Dept. of Electrical Engineering? I know you’ll find at least one there, and I’ve met a few in the Dept. of Biochem.
