A berkeleyByte op-ed article:
Everyone needs to watch this video. Especially those in tech and those interested in Wealth and Poverty—a good slice of the UC Berkeley population(!)—this is pertinent to you. This video provides an unseen/unheard perspective on Silicon Valley that the general public should know about. We see the glitz and the glam of Google, Facebook, and all the startups in Silicon Valley, but rarely are we exposed to what it’s like to live below the poverty level here at the heart of innovation. Since Silicon Valley is know for its innovation, what exactly can we do to alleviate the situation? This is what I’ve been mulling over ever since my friend shared this video with me.
Some highlights of the video (courtesy of the Upworthy article):
- 0:00 - Bill Moyers introduces the context of this video.
- 0:37 - Meet a journalist and find out why the middle class disappeared in one particular area of California.
- 1:15 - Find out why people moved to Silicon Valley.
- 1:50 - Guess which financial phenomenon is most present in Silicon Valley.
- 2:28 - Hear what a former manufacturer has to say.
- 3:30 - Learn how the city of San Jose was irresponsible for 15 years.
- 4:01 - This former Googler was fired; see how he lives now.
- 4:50 - One family’s heartbreaking story.
- 5:33 - Guess who can help fix this problem.
In the social justice-y classes that I’ve taken/sat in on here at Cal, we are exposed to issues in our world, though we do not delve deeply into what are some possible next action steps. And thus oftentimes I leave class feeling enlightened about an issue but also frustrated at my own seeming inability to do anything substantial about it. What I have come to terms with, though, is that awareness is the first key step to combating all of these issues, and that’s precisely what Berkeley provides. It would be nice if Berkeley did more in connecting this awareness to action, but I guess in large survey classes it’s not realistic to do so.
Perhaps because as a Bay Area native and one who is involved in tech, I feel a strong personal connection to this issue, and it’s time for some walk to accompany all of the talk. The Silicon Valley is one of the richest places in the world—there must be something we can do to help those who are less fortunate.
Watching this video left me with some questions:
- How can we close the wealth and poverty gap here in Silicon Valley?
- How can we utilize the resources in tech (both human and financial) to better the lives of those who are struggling to live in Silicon Valley?
- How can we connect these two groups to create better and more meaningful lives for all?
We should leverage the financial capital and human capital of high tech. Tech is where the money’s at in Silicon Valley, and people who work in tech do care about the issue, but I think there’s simply not a structure or system in place that makes it easy for people to contribute. The efforts are fragmented. It’s easy for someone who works in tech to volunteer an hour a week at an urban elementary school or once a month mentoring youth. And while I have the utmost respect for the individuals who take time out of their lives to impact those of others, these efforts have yet to spur any systemic changes that need to happen in order to make a rippling change in Silicon Valley.
What could we possibly do? One idea is to create a central hub (both a physical and a cyber location) of fighting poverty in Silicon Valley and think about how do we connect the resources in high tech with people living in poverty. This hub would be involved with education/re-education/training for all ages, employment help/advocacy, and acting as a central gathering place for supporters of this issue. We need a triple alliance of activists, people with low-incomes, and people in tech to effectively make a change.
Of course, before finding any solution, it’s important that we figure out the wants and needs of those living below the poverty line so that we can work towards meeting those wants and needs in the formation of the solution.
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Get ready for the biggest open-house, second to perhaps only Cal Day on campus, on Wednesday, May 8—Design Fest! Design Fest showcases caps the end of the semester by showcasing projects from various design classes across campus from various departments and colleges.
