Examines the environmental racism at the foundation of the Silicon
Valley economy
Next to the nuclear industry, the largest producer of contaminants in
the air, land, and water is the electronics industry. Silicon Valley
hosts the highest density of Superfund sites anywhere in the nation and
leads the country in the number of temporary workers per capita and in
workforce gender inequities. Silicon Valley offers a sobering
illustration of environmental inequality and other problems that are
increasingly linked to the globalization of the world's economies.
In The Silicon Valley of Dreams, the authors take a hard look at the
high-tech region of Silicon Valley to examine environmental racism
within the context of immigrant patterns, labor markets, and the
historical patterns of colonialism. One cannot understand Silicon Valley
or the high-tech global economy in general, they contend, without also
understanding the role people of color play in the labor force, working
in the electronic industry's toxic environments. These toxic work
environments produce chemical pollution that, in turn, disrupts the
ecosystems of surrounding communities inhabited by people of color and
immigrants. The authors trace the origins of this exploitation and
provide a new understanding of the present-day struggles for
occupational health and safety.
The Silicon Valley of Dreams will be critical reading for students
and scholars in ethnic studies, immigration, urban studies, gender
studies, social movements, and the environment, as well as activists and
policy-makers working to address the needs of workers, communities, and
industry.
