Ajay Bhatt

 Asian Americans Contributing to the Technological World 

Ajay Bhatt, an Indian-American computer engineer contributed to the technological world with the development of the USB (Universal Serial Bus) in 1996. Prior to the USB, users had to use different cords to connect different devices to their computers which made it a tricky and tedious task. Bhatt noticed this issue when he was having issues with his printer so he and his team at Intel decided to create a single connector that would make it easier to connect to different devices and allow for devices to be used on a computer without the need of rebooting or shutting down the system, known as the USB. 

Since 1996, the USB has become part of the Internet of Things and been the standard for device connection making it undergo a lot of evolutions through the years: USB 1.0, USB 1.1, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB Type-C, USB 3.1 and the most recent version, the USB 4. 

Ajay Bhatt was inspired to pursue a career in technology when he worked for several companies like Honeywell and Intel Corporation after earning his master's degree in electrical engineering at the CUNY (City University of New York) in 1981. It was especially when he worked as a chief architect for Intel when he would notice his family would call him and complain about how they had trouble printing things for school thus his invention which changed the way computers and peripheral devices worked together. 

Under representation of Asian Americans in technology can make people unaware of the history or people behind inventions they use. In Bhatt's experience, his invention was so great that there was an intel ad portraying him back in 2009. Also, a part of why he isn't very represented or known for his invention may go back to how he chose to not make any money out of the idea as he believed he was bringing about a big change for the computer industry. 

In computing and technology today, racial bias can be combated by allowing people of all walks of life to have a role and voice in the industry. Just like how Bhatt decided to work together with a group of engineers in Intel to bring the USB to life, companies should make sure to hire people who would be leaders/innovators in the workplace regardless of race or background.