Eastercon and diversity

[nanila]

lapswood was kind enough to send me a few photos he took at Eastercon last month. I thought this one made a nice illustration of some points that were made about PoCs and the (lack of) diversity at science fiction conventions.

This is from the panel I was on. Myself, the gentleman next to me and the man on the opposite end from me are all working scientists. The other man is the moderator - I'm not sure whether or not he is a scientist.



When I look at this picture, the first thing that pops into my head is the Sesame Street song: "One of these things is not like the others/One of these things just doesn't belong."

Visually, the thing that doesn't belong is me. And that makes me sad. What does it make you think?

Comments

[holyschist]

Of course, the additional layer of context is that many of the Asians I was friends with spoke English as a second language. Maths and engineering and subjects like that are seen as being easier for people who don't like writing essays, and most of e.g. the Mainland Chinese people I knew at uni were either mathematicians or engineers. So, y'know, I don't know what the gender balance in the maths and engineering fields are like in Mainland China, whether there's even more of a bias towards men.

*nods* You're talking about the UK? Because yeah, I would expect it to be different in more of an expat situation. It's pretty similar in the US.