Making the Invisible Visible: Asian American/Pacific Islander Workers in Silicon Valley

Abstract

The role of working-class Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Silicon Valley's high technology revolution has been obscured by imposed silences, erasures, and a fixation on the relatively few who have become wealthy from the electronics boom. In this article we consider the thousands of Asians/Pacific Islanders who make Silicon Valley possible by producing the hardware that runs the machinery upon which this modern-day empire was built. In particular, we address the health hazards experienced by those involved in home-based piecework. In addition, we consider a range of industry practices that produce and reinforce oppression among these workers. The low profile of working-class AAPI workers in Silicon Valley enables industry to withhold occupational and environmental safety improvements, repress efforts to organize unions, and maintain oppressive workplace cultures. Finally, we examine oppositional strategies among AAPI laborers to make themselves seen and heard on the shopfloor and in the community.