5/13/2021

Headline, May 14 2021/ ''' '' SILICON VALLEY SILENCE '' '''


''' '' SILICON VALLEY

 SILENCE '' '''



AS THE TECH COMPANIES IN THE VALLEY - in San Francisco Bay Area of California, have driven the American economy since the Great Recession, the region has remained one of the most unequal in the United States.

The workers of Silicon Valley rarely look like the men idealized in its lore. They are sometimes heavier, sometimes older, often female, often darker skinned. Many migrated from elsewhere. And most earn far less than Mark Zuckerberg or Tim Cook.

THIS IS A PLACE OF DIVIDES

During the depth of the pandemic, four of the 10 families in the area with children could not be sure that they would have enough to eat on any given day, according to an analysis by the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies.

Just months later, Elon Musk the chief executive of Tesla, briefly became one of the world's richest man. The median home price in Santa Clara - home to Apple and Google's parent company, Alphabet -is now $1.4 million, according to the California Association of Realtors. 

For those who have not been fortunate enough to make billionaire lists, for midlevel engineers and food truck workers and longtime residents, the valley has become increasingly inhospitable, testing their resilience and resolve.

Here are some of them, who originally appeared in our book, ''Seeing Silicon Valley.''

RAVI AND GOUTHAMI

Between them, Ravi and Gouthani have multiple degrees - in biotechnology, computer science, chemistry and statistics. In 2013, after studying in India and working in Wisconsin and Texas, they landed in Bay Area, where they now work as statistical programmers in the pharmaceutical industry.

They rent a one-bedroom apartment in the bayside town of Foster City, and they regularly attend a Hindu temple in Sunnyvale, which has been a hub for the Hindu community since the early 1990s.

Although they have worked hard to get where they are, and they make good money - their starting  salaries were about $90,000 each - they feel a future in Silicon Valley eludes them. Their apartment for example costs about $3,000 a month. They could move somewhere less expensive, but, with the traffic, they'd spend hours each day commuting.

They would like to stay, but they don't feel confident that they can save, invest and start a family. They're not sure what to do next.

DIANE

Diane lives in a spacious house in Menlo Park, the city where Facebook is based. Her home is filled with beautiful objects from a life of travel with her husband, a Chinese businessman and philanthropist, now deceased.

The couple moved to the Bay area over 30 years ago when he retired, and they loved the area - the sunshine, the ocean, the wide-open spaces.

Since then, Diane has watched area change. ''It's overcrowded now,. It used to be lovely, you know - you had space, you had no traffic. Here it was absolutely a gorgeous place. Now it's heavily populated -buildings are going up everywhere like there's no tomorrow.

''The money that rolls here is unbelievable,'' she continued, ''and it's in the hands of very young people now. They have too much money - there's no spirited feelings just materialism.''

VICTOR

Victor came to Silicon Valley from EL Salvador more than 25 years ago. He lives in a small white trailer in Mountain View, a couple of miles from Google's campus. He used to live in an apartment nearby but had to leave when the rent got too high.

His trailer is parked in a long line of trailers, some inhibited by others who've lost their homes. Victor, who is now in his 80's, doesn't have electricity or running water, but the custodians in his old apartment often sneak him in to bathe and to wash his clothes.

Victor always carries a jar of medicated ointment in his backpack, and when neighbors twist an ankle or have a stiff neck, they know to knock on Victor's trailer door. He sets out a chair for them and massages the sore spot until the pain passes.

TERESA

Teresa works full time in a food truck. She prepares a Mexican food geared toward a Silicon Valley clientele; hand-milled corn tortillas, vegan tamales, or organic Swiss charred burritos,.

The truck travels up and down the valley, serving employees at Tesla's headquarters, students at Stanford University, shoppers at the Whole Foods in Cupertino.

Teresa lives in an apartment in Red Wood City with her four daughters. In the fall of 2017, her parents visited from Mexico, the first time she had seen them in 22 years.

''Biencenidos Abuellos'' a crayon drawing on the door announced. Welcome grandparents.

''Es muy diffcil para uno,'' she said. It's really hard.

Silicon Valley : This region of  extremes has become increasingly inhospitable for some.

The Honor and Serving of the Latest Global Operational Research on Silicon Valley, Life and Times, continues. The World Students Society thanks authors Mary Beth Meehan and Fred Turner.

With respectful dedication to the Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. See Ya all prepare and register for Great Global  Elections on The World Students Society : wssciw.blogspot.com and Twitter - !E-WOW! - The Ecosystem 2011 :

''' Some - Sums '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless

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