Written by John Mertic, Executive Director of Open Mainframe Project and Steering Committee Member for the Software Developer Diversity & Inclusive (SDDI) Project
I’ve looked back on the blog posts and personal accounts shared by individuals in the mainframe community for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and it’s brought a sense of hope for how far we have come as a society. Even more broadly, we see places like North Carolina launching bi-partisan education in schools, which shows the intentional efforts to create an equitable society for all. But there is still work to be done, as Asian Americans still feel a sense of lack of belonging in the workplace, and wages in some areas of the country are disproportionately low compared to the median income of that state.
As many of you may know, I am a parent of three children of Asian descent. I’ve seen the challenges they’ve faced, as they are part of the few Asians in our schools. All of them have suffered from overt racism in some form, from slur words directed at them to negative comments on their appearance.
As I look toward the future, I know there will be institutional racism that they will encounter. Still, I hope that with the conversation on race, equality, and understanding becoming more intentional, they will be part of a society that values people from all backgrounds.
Photo by Gerd Altmann via Pixabay
For those in the mainframe community, my ask to you is to seek to understand, appreciate, and learn from one another. Our differences make the work that comes together more valuable and impactful and sets up the mainframe community for being one that can be passed down to the next generation.
In case you missed it, other AAPI blogs:
