Project Overview
Many communities are underrepresented in the computing industry. With market demands and equity at the helm, the computer engineering and computer science community has increasingly become interested in broadening participation matters. A more comprehensive understanding of the influences that shape individuals' decisions to pursue computing is essential, especially among Black and Hispanic women. To date, the exploration of Black and Hispanic women in computing is limited, and, in the theoretical and scientific literature, there are very few studies devoted to women of color in computing. This exploratory qualitative study examines the salient factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of Black and Latino women in computer engineering and computer science. Using social identity theory and intersectionality as guiding theoretical frameworks this study is designed to better understand the social complexities associated with being Black and/or Hispanic and a woman in the world of computing.