It's been over 150 years since slavery was abolished under the 13th amendment, yet its roots remain prevalent in modern American society. And while the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended legal discrimination in the United States, institutional racism is alive and well. As of 2015, the high school graduation rate for white students was 88%, and 75% for black students. An even smaller number goes on to pursue higher education. This is with affirmative action in place. The legacy of slavery and discrimination that followed it has prevented many black Americans and other racial minorities from escaping its cycle. The median household income for white Americans is nearly double that of black Americans. As of 2013, 39% of black children live in poverty. This is no coincidence, and affirmative action is an effort to break the cycle and ensure that all Americans are given an equal shot at prosperity.
By no means does being a racial or ethnic minority equal an automatic acceptance. Affirmative action allows universities to give qualified minority students an opportunity to receive an education. The legal outright discrimination against these students that has plagued our nation from its birth until the late twentieth century has prevented such an occurrence. As a white American it might be easy to point the finger and paint affirmative action as discriminatory and unfair. But in reality, all is does is give everyone an equal opportunity at achieving success and the American dream. It's in place because white Americans are already given an advantage. What's so discriminatory about that?
In Affirmative Action Means Equality Opportunity, Bryn argues in favor of Affirmative Action and its implementation. She references the graduation rate and poverty levels of minorities and contrasts it with those of whites. However, I think looking at this argument from a purely statistical standpoint is flawed.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, Affirmative Action was implemented with the goal of allowing underprivileged minorities to attain the same educational opportunities as other wealthier and more privileged people. However, at the same time, Affirmative Action hurts minorities – or one particular ethnic group – Asians [http://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/ethnicity-health/asian-american/article-admission.aspx] [http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-adv-asian-race-tutoring-20150222-story.html]. It has been shown that by listing oneself as Asian under ethnicity during college admissions, one can be handicapped by 50 points on an SAT score. Objectively speaking, this isn’t fair. Why should being one ethnicity be clamped down upon in favor of others?
This is where I think Affirmative Action falls short. Its goal is to allow those who are underprivileged to have the same opportunities as the more fortunate but segregating by race is not the way to do it. Those who are wealthier have the opportunity to attend better funded schools, SAT camps, writing camps, amongst many other experiences that someone who is not as well-off can partake in. Race is not directly a part of the equation, although it does have its impacts. Therefore, while I think Affirmative Action is a necessity, it should be doing so on the basis of economic well-being as opposed to ethnicity. There are poor Asians, rich blacks, poor whites, and rich Mexicans – all of which don’t fit the rigid system that is Affirmative Action.
Furthermore, Affirmative Action implemented in this manner discredits many who are seemingly impacted by it. We’ve all heard stories about the girl who was accepted by all 8 Ivy League schools. [www.cnn.com/2017/04/04/us/teen-ivy-league-trnd/index.html]. However, there was much controversy over it – many people clamored over the fact that she was black and thus Affirmative Action was the only reason why she was able to achieve this feat. This is simply unfair; if Affirmative Action had zero impact on her admission, then she was unjustly being discredited. This is a major flaw – those who rise as a result of Affirmative Action are shunned and seen as taking advantage of the system.
Overall, while Affirmative Action is important and follows the United States’ foundational ideology of equal opportunity, I think it is poorly implemented and does not accomplish the goals that it was set out to achieve.