A new study out of San Jose State University seems to back up claims that there are two Silicon Valleys: one for whites and another for minorities.
The study will not be official released until Tuesday, but NBC Bay Area obtained an advance look at the research, which reveals glaring inequalities, especially between Blacks and whites in Silicon Valley.
The Silicon Valley is known as one of the world's richest regions and is home to more than 76,000 millionaires and billionaires. But a new study by Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton, a sociology professor at SJSU, reveals a different Silicon Valley for Blacks and Latinos.
Myers-Lipton's research found among the top 75 tech companies in the region, only 3% of the employees are Black, and only 4.8% of Latinos are in executive positions for "big tech."
The research also found there were no Black women employed at 10 large high-tech companies.
Milpitas resident Karrington Kenney said she is disappointed, but not surprised.
"I think it's time that people understand Black people are educated and they have the right to do everything everyone else is doing," Kenney said.
The study also looked at inequalities in education.
"The dropout rate is 4.5% among whites, but it's 20% among Blacks," Myers-Lipton said. "That's five times higher than the dropout rate among white people."
From jobs to investing companies, and to the poverty rate, Myers-Lipton said his research reveals a common theme.
"Whatever institution I studied all favor whites over people of color," Myers-Lipton said.
The professor is hoping his study will motivate people to be bold and think of new ways to break the cycle of inequality for the next generation.
