Lack of representation of Filipino American Women in Tech

It has been difficult as a woman of color in tech to see the lack of other people who look like me in the industry. Yes. There are Asians in the tech industry, but we are not a uniform group.

I’m Filipino. Filipino students are nearly 60% less likely to major in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields than other Asian American students, according to the University at Buffalo study*.

Other findings from the study:

• Female Asian American students were 46% less likely to major in STEM than their male counterparts;
• Vietnamese and Thai students were more likely to choose a STEM major when enrolled at a 2-year college, and those odds dramatically decreased when they enrolled at a 4-year school;
• Chinese, Indian and Sri Lankan students were more likely to enroll in highly selective 4-year colleges than other Asian American subgroups;
• Chinese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Korean and Japanese students earned, on average, higher 12th-grade math scores than Filipino, Vietnamese and Thai students.

If you are in one of these less represented groups and in tech, know that there are others like you! You can find inspiration from other women of color in tech through social media.

I share my story as a Filipino American single working mother in tech because stereotypes about Filipino women held me back growing up. Today, stereotypes about single working mothers even held me back at a company I previously worked for who said I would not be eligible for a promotion or raise due to my “family issues.”

Keep your head up.

*Kang, C., Jo, H., Han, S. W., & Weis, L. (2021). Complexifying Asian American student pathways to STEM majors: Differences by ethnic subgroups and college selectivity. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.