Ask HN: Breaking into Tech

Disclaimer, I am asking this question for research purposes for a class paper. While HN does have anonymity, if you do respond, I will ensure any responses that I include will be anonymized to protect user identity.

An interesting thing about the tech industry is the reputation as a meritocracy; that with enough time and effort, anyone can learn the necessary skills to get into tech. I am curious of the opinions of tech workers of different backgrounds (race, gender, ethnicity, etc.) on this belief In your experience, have you found this to be true? Or have you faced barriers contrary to the industries meritocratic reputation?