by Xia Lin, Wu Xiaoling, Ye Zaiqi
SAN FRANCISCO, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Some Chinese engineers and programmers, who work in Silicon Valley in the U.S. state of California, said the so-called "bamboo ceiling" has got in their way of reaching a higher position, but they are increasingly confident to cope with it.
LARGER NUMBER BUT FEW HIGHER POSITIONS
Asians, including a major share of Chinese, fill about 30 percent of professional positions at Apple, Facebook and Google, but far fewer become senior executives and managers, according to a report published in January on SiliconBeat, the tech blog of the Mercury News.
A "bamboo ceiling" is there preventing Asians, including Chinese, from being promoted to higher positions in the Bay Area where Silicon Valley is situated and top high-tech enterprises cluster, it added.
"Chinese programmers are a mainstay in Silicon Valley. They contribute a lot to many companies, and they account for a relatively large part of the staff. It is a pity that they are seldom promoted to high-level positions, which I think will improve in the coming years," said 38-year-old Zhao Yao.
He came from Hunan province in south China, won computer science degrees at Chinese and U.S. universities and is now the director of data science at a high-tech start-up Shape Security.
Chinese faces are seldom seen in the top hierarchy of behemoth companies, leaving some aspiring engineers and programmers of Chinese descent perplexed and even plunge into self-doubt.
"One of my directors who is an Asian woman used to tell me about that. We talked about it a few times. She said that you need to watch out for a 'sticky floor' as much as you watch out for a 'glass ceiling'," said Steve Mansour, CTO of Accord Interest and once hired by major companies in Silicon Valley.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Year after year, thousands of Chinese talents flock into the high-tech multinationals in the Bay Area, California, to seek their fortune.
Often successful in making a more affluent life, they would gradually found that their ambitions got stuck half air there because of the "bamboo ceiling."
"Actually there have been several folks that either used to be in my group or who are friends of folks that used to be in my group who have contacted me for advice on how to move up the food chain or which positions to accept or what to do for an interview or things like that. And all of those people without exception have been Chinese," Mansour told Xinhua.
In Silicon Valley, Chinese seem to be more likely to secure comparatively senior technology positions, but less likely to become top managers.
"There are many reasons. First is linguistic ability. Besides, Chinese are still on their way of understanding the American culture. When you reach a senior level, the challenge no longer lies in programming, but how to socialize with others," Zhao told Xinhua.
GETTING STRONGER AND SMARTER
At Google - which led the way on reporting diversity numbers - Asians make up 39 percent of the tech workforce but only 27 percent of leadership. At Apple, Asian workers hold 31 percent of tech jobs, but just 23 percent of leadership positions. At Facebook, Asians make up 49 percent of the tech workforce, but occupy only 21 percent of senior leadership positions, according to the SiliconBeat report.
Chinese and Indians make up the majority of Asian talents in Silicon Valley. But in a stark contrast, Indians often stand much higher in the hierarchy, as they are widely seen as eloquent in English and function well in team work.
According to a survey conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012, each of one third of the large enterprises in Silicon Valley has at least one senior executive or chief technology official of Indian descent.
During the past years, things have turned better for Indians, as well as for Chinese, though at a limited level.
AN ALTERNATIVE PATH
In December 2008, when Lu Qi became the executive vice president of Microsoft, he was immediately acclaimed as the most powerful Chinese in Silicon Valley, looming large as a legend revered by his folks.
He facelifted the promotion track of Chinese technicians in the Bay Area, by transforming from an engineer to a decision maker in just a decade.
Lu left Microsoft in 2016 and was hired by China's Baidu as President and CEO in the beginning of 2017.
"Outstanding leadership skills, extensive business knowledge and sheer insights were helpful in Lu's rise," said Zhang Xiaodan, a software engineer from Beijing and now working for a pillar company in Silicon Valley, adding that there is much to be copied from his trajectory.
"With an idea to start up a project, one would scoop talents and resources and bring them back to China for development. Many friends did so. It is a choice of life," said Zhang.
Since 2017, western media have noticed that more and more Chinese engineers and programmers left Silicon Valley for their homeland to seek more fortune, recognition and respect.
The SiliconBeat has published a report titled "Chinese techies flee Silicon Valley, 'bamboo ceiling' highlighted."
In another report, the Bloomberg News has said that "Chinese Workers Abandon Silicon Valley for Riches Back Home."
"I find China is moving very, very fast, sometimes with a much faster tempo than Silicon Valley," said Zhao, adding that "Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent are all moving forward at very fast pace. Their market values, product quality and expansion are all extremely strong."
In recent years, IT and Internet professionals with overseas study or work experience have gradually outnumbered returned financial talents to be the mainstay for the surging economy of China.
A survey conducted by the global think tank CCG and China's hiring website Zhaopin.com in 2017 found that this type of people accounted for 15.5 percent of the total returnees, or a 10 percent rise over 2015.
OPPORTUNITIES AND HOPES
Both Zhang and Zhao believe that the opportunities for Chinese talents in both the United States and back home are abundant, and they should always enhance their own skills to usher in a brighter future for themselves and their families.
"Most of the time, I found that few Chinese dared to make speeches in public. Gradually, Chinese researchers are no more blushing to take the stage and promote what they do, more often than before," Zhang told Xinhua.
"Speaking smarter and louder, being united and supporting each others," these are the things Chinese engineers have to learn on their way to becoming capable to manage the 'bamboo ceiling,' if not break it, said Zhao.
