Silicon Valley's Fragile Harmony: A Reflection on Diversity in a Divided World
By Pej Vosooghi
Today hit me harder than I expected. Two of my coworkers announced they’re leaving the team, and it left me reflecting on just how unique this place really is. One of them, an Israeli, was named after the Persian poet Rumi. She’s married to a Lebanese, which sounds like the setup for a thought experiment on peace, but it’s her actual life. The other, an American woman from Detroit, fell in love with a Persian man and speaks fluent Farsi and recites Persian poetry. It’s like our team is a microcosm of everything Silicon Valley claims to stand for: connection, collaboration, and breaking down barriers. But as I sat with the news of their departure, the irony started to sink in. In this space, diversity is just normal. It fuels the work we do. Yet outside these walls, the world feels increasingly divided. The same identities that bring us together here are tearing people apart elsewhere. It’s humbling to realize how much we take this environment for granted. Where else would you find an Israeli Rumi, a Farsi-speaking Detroiter, and people from all over the world working on the same team? With them leaving, I’m reminded that this harmony isn’t inevitable. It’s rare, and fragile, and worth protecting.