This is an interesting line of discussion, but it's really orthogonal to one's race/gender/ethnicity/etc. Some people (like|accept|are willing to play) the "networking game" and some people aren't. In either case, it's a simple truth that a willingness and ability to play that game usually corresponds with more money, more responsibility, etc.
I know it offends the sensibilities of many hackers that something so important should reduce to something so subjective and uncontrollable as human relations, but in the end, we are all salespeople... we're selling ourselves to others, all the time. And choosing not to engage in that is making a choice to do a poor job of selling yourself.
It would be nice if the entire world could just perceive our knowledge, wisdom, skills and experience, and just come to us and evaluate us objectively, but it just doesn't work that way. It's not fair, but who ever said life was going to be fair.
Whether you're Indian or Caucasian, male or female, Catholic or Atheist, or whatever, learning to network and sell yourself is something you need to do if you want to advance and be successful. Now if you're content with your current position, salary, lifestyle, etc., then don't worry about it.
