Affirmative action was first used in the early 1960s to help remedy the discrimination of minority groups in employment and education. Today, it is mainly used in college admissions, to provide more access to higher education for people of groups that have been discriminated against in the past. Proponents of affirmative action claim it is necessary because it creates greater diversity and opportunities for the disadvantaged. Detractors will claim that it is reverse discrimination, favoring applicants of minority groups over white and Asian people. To them, it is trying to fix a problem of past discrimination with more discrimination. As of today, there are some states who have banned affirmative action in admissions for public institutions (California is one). Affirmative action in public college admissions is on its way to be banned in the nation, because of our current administration.
Affirmative action in college admissions is still necessary. It is no secret that mistreatment, lack of opportunity and educational resources have kept some people from reaching their full potential. It is only fair that we help the disadvantaged get more opportunities now. And many schools across the country are still mostly white dominated. America is a diverse country with people of all countries, with roots from all over the world. Shouldn’t the student populations of universities look more like the demographics of the country? Ethnically diverse student bodies will create an environment where students from different backgrounds interact, preparing them for the workplace of the future.
But race-based affirmative action, while giving more opportunities to people who have been discriminated against in the past, is not without its problems. By only providing an advantage in college admissions to people from certain minority groups, users of affirmative action are assuming that all people of a certain racial group are poor and therefore disadvantaged. That is simply wrong. It is stereotypical to just assume that all black and Latino people are poor and disadvantaged, while all whites and Asians are wealthy and privileged. There are exceptions. Someone being from a certain minority group does not necessarily mean that they are disadvantaged, as that depends on their socioeconomic status. Here, race-based affirmative action is actually reinforcing harmful stereotypes of minority groups. Something that was implemented to remedy past racism has created more stereotypes and racism toward racial groups.
And although affirmative action does bring diversity to college campuses, it mainly brings in racial diversity. There are many types of diversity, including diversity of socioeconomic status, race, opinions and achievements. Using race-based affirmative action for greater diversity to college campuses gives an underlying assumption that only people of certain minority groups can bring certain ideas or perspectives to the table. It assumes that all people of one race think the same way. This idea that only people of minority groups can bring diversity to college campuses is wrong. People of all different races can bring diversity through their socioeconomic status, opinions and perspectives. Affirmative action may help increase diversity ethnically on college campuses, but it fails to bring other types of diversity.
Instead of affirmative action of race, we should have affirmative action based on socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status-based affirmative action would give more opportunities in higher education to students who come from poorer families and neighborhoods, who might not have grown up with the same opportunities and resources as students from wealthy backgrounds. It creates greater socioeconomic diversity on college campuses as well. This way, we can ensure that students (of all races) who are truly disadvantaged (poor) get a chance to better their lives through higher education.
Shavonne Lin is a junior at San Mateo High School. Student News appears in the weekend edition. Portions of this column were previously used in one of her school assignments. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.
The author asserts that only socioeconomic factors are responsible for discrimination when in fact the color of a person's skin is still to this day a predictor of discrimination. Color alone has proven to trigger both conscious and unconscious bias. We are a long way from eliminating racial discrimination in our world.
Well written letter, Ms. Lin, describing the positives and negatives of affirmative action. In reading your letter, I'm curious as to the diversity of current university student bodies vs. the country's demographics. What are the numbers regarding socioeconomic status in the US vs. university students? Are these numbers easily found? Based on your letter's conclusion, I agree that affirmative action based on socioeconomic status would be more fair, however, there are many people that want to keep the specter of racism and discrimination alive, and as such, this proposal is akin to rolling a large boulder up a very steep hill. Keep up the great letters!
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The author asserts that only socioeconomic factors are responsible for discrimination when in fact the color of a person's skin is still to this day a predictor of discrimination. Color alone has proven to trigger both conscious and unconscious bias. We are a long way from eliminating racial discrimination in our world.
Well written letter, Ms. Lin, describing the positives and negatives of affirmative action. In reading your letter, I'm curious as to the diversity of current university student bodies vs. the country's demographics. What are the numbers regarding socioeconomic status in the US vs. university students? Are these numbers easily found? Based on your letter's conclusion, I agree that affirmative action based on socioeconomic status would be more fair, however, there are many people that want to keep the specter of racism and discrimination alive, and as such, this proposal is akin to rolling a large boulder up a very steep hill. Keep up the great letters!
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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