<p>I am an underrepresented minority and I both like and dislike affirmative action.</p>
<p>I dislike affirmative action because some people resent me because they think I went to college thanks to affirmative action and stole "their spot"; because it makes it harder for me to find a job, since the interviewer doesn't know if I went to college thanks to my own merits or affirmative action; and lastly, because I feel guilty and insecure, because I'll never know what role affirmative action played in my getting accepted to college.</p>
<p>I like affirmative action because without it qualified underrepresented would not get accepted to college or hired to work at almost any company, simply because of their minority status. You probably think that no college or employer is that stupid, and that the most qualified applicant is the one who is going to get hired or accepted to college. That's what I used to think, until I learned that part of the reason affirmative action was invented is precisely because that wasn't happening.</p>
<p>In conclusion, I think that if competition is to be fair, affirmative action cannot exist. But without affirmative action, how do we make sure qualified underrepresented minorities are not denied suitable employment and education?</p>
<p>Boring discussion but I have no problem with trying to get more QUALIFIED minority students into universities. The issue is when they relax the standards for minority students that I feel incredibly angry. I personally don’t think I owe any one group of people preferential treatment for anything; if they get in on their own merit, hurrah! Otherwise, most qualified applicants first and foremost.</p>
<p>Omg… WHY are you starting up this topic!!! NOTHING is going to come out of it! The same thing happens every time! People are just going to start ranting and raving and then someone is gonna assume someone is being racist. Good grief!</p>
<p>It’s reverse racisim. If tomorrow we made it so that the standards for whites and asians were lower than the standards for blacks and hispanics there would be an uproar.</p>
Boring discussion but I have no problem with trying to get more QUALIFIED minority students into universities. The issue is when they relax the standards for minority students that I feel incredibly angry.
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<p>Since you emphasized the word “qualified,” can you give an example of a minority that you personally know who got accepted into a university he or she wasn’t qualified for?</p>
<p>Well I’m black but I don’t call myself an “underrepresented minority” lol. I think if you go around assuming people are judging you then that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Ever here of the law of attraction??? lol</p>
<p>Well anyway. I kinda like and dislike it too. I like it because I do feel that it necessary to a certain point. I mean you have to admit that years of slavery and segregation can affect generations to come and their quality of life. And yes there may be a black president but a lot of minorities are stuck in this “cycle” that was brought about through past racism. However, I’m not! I don’t go around making excusing because of the color of my skin and I just live like and make friends, I don’t care what they look like! In fact I prefer diversity because I learn more that way. =) (I don’t really have that many black friends to be honest)</p>
<p>But I do also understand how it can be viewed as reverse racism. But I just try to look at it as trying to repair the past. Eventually we should get to the point where it’s no longer needed, as after all, people are just people. We all bleed when cut and need water to quench our thirst. Plus we’ll need to learn to band together when the aliens finally decide to openly reveal themselves. ;p</p>
<p>But that’s not to say that other races didn’t go through hardships too. Irish immigrants were treated horribly and Japanese Americans were too during WWII. But for some reason it seems that black people are the only ones who get the attention…</p>
<p>The reason I don’t like it is because it makes me question my worth. It’s like, do they want me for me or because I’m black? But I like to think I would have accomplished a lot anyway as I do have strong academic merits and I was well known as an “overachiever” at my high school…although I saw everything I did as simply achieving what needed to be done. Black or not, I would be where I am today, (well except for maybe the two minority scholarships I got, but I also won other scholarships that had nothing to do with race. ;)</p>
<p>I tutored an URM who got into schools ranked higher than I did. I think he felt really bad about it. I kinda felt sorry for him.</p>
<p>Ultimately, I think Obama is correct on this issue. Affirmative action does not affect the odds of acceptance of white students nearly as much as its opponents claim it does. On the other hand, affirmative action has not helped the minority community nearly as much as its proponents claim it does.</p>
<p>Personally, I feel that affirmative action hurts the black community more than it helps. Firstly, it seems that the majority of black applicants being helped by AA are already in high social positions, so that its effects are minimal. Secondly, I think many blacks feel somewhat patronized by the fact that colleges endorse the idea that most blacks are incapable of doing well as their white classmates and therefore must give them a boost in the admissions process. (Of course, colleges claim that they don’t do this, but everyone knows this is political BS.) Thirdly, this lowering of standards for the black community is just an excuse - black students are capable of doing just as well as white students, but if you tell them they aren’t, then they probably won’t perform as well. I mean, look at stereotype threat. I find it hard to believe that a similar psychological effect would not take place because of AA.</p>
<p>A while back, I read an article linked on reddit which showed a white teacher’s incredibly honest account of his experience teaching at an almost all-black school. I remember him saying that many of the black students had an EXTREME inferiority complex. He once asked a question to the extent of “What would happen if all the white people disappeared?”, to which one of his students replied “We’d all be screwed” to the laughter of his classmates. If we keep endorsing the image that black students are inferior to white students (which, I reiterate, is readily accepted by the white community and, from what I’ve seen, most of the black community as well), how will this self-image ever improve? I don’t see how the easing of standards is a service to anyone.</p>
<p>All in all, I think that AA is simply misguided. It should be aimed toward low-income students, regardless of racial background.</p>
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<p>This is true, and it’s a difficult problem to handle. However, I don’t think the problem will be solved simply by easing standards for black students.</p>
<p>As a Hispanic student raised in an overwhelmingly white community, I think affirmative action both hurts and helps minority students.
I think it is helps to inspire individuals who live in minority communities whose parents may not have gone to college or may not speak English, but in my community I get sneers that seem to devalue the amount of work I have put in to my education.
Nevertheless, even though I have not faced as discouraging challenges as many minority students, as a NMS, Valedictorian in my class of 720, and National AP scholar, I don’t appreciate the sneers and feel just as qualified as any other applicant.
But I’d largely agree that standards for admissions need to be relatively the same as those for white and asian students.</p>
<p>For me, its a hate/love relationship, but in the end, you can’t deny that affirmative actions has helped thousands of URMs get into college. Those that call it “reverse racism” are woefully ignorant of the socioeconomic difficulties many URMs face in this country - no money for college, a decaying high school, bad teachers, etc. Affirmative action levels the playing field for many minorities, and for those that deny its benefits are simply deluding themselves.</p>
<p>I think a better option would be need-based/economic affirmative action. Racial affirmative action causes racial tensions between the groups, and is unfair for many Asian Americans and whites. It also might be counter-effective if it puts minority students in colleges who might not be prepared at the same level as other applicants, and thus have lower graduating rates. Ofcourse, Affirmative action was necessary in the past as African Americans had to go through so many hurdles to achieve what was impossible then, but it was designed as temporary program. It’s best now to move on to an economic-based program, which by the way Obama supports, which will give those at an economic disadvantage (those in poverty) a little support in admissions. It seems much more fair and will not cause as many racial tensions.</p>
<p>I go to a predominantly white university where being an URM is very attractive towards the admissions office. What about if said URM came from a rich private school but was underachieving academically in comparison to the average applicant? What type of socioeconomic difficulties is said individual facing, and why should he/she in this situation be given an advantage over non-URMs whom are more distinguished academically? I think personally you are the ignorant one, assuming every URM in every situation is coming from a poor, challenging childhood.</p>
<p>As said before in this thread, I believe AA should be based on the student’s/parental income.</p>
<p>There are a variety of factors which can preclude someone from fulfilling their full potential. Certainly, being subjected to racism (and make no mistake, racism is as pervasive as it was decades ago, though it is more submerged and well-concealed nowadays) qualifies as an important impediment. However, I believe other variables, such as socio-economic status, have a greater effect. If affirmative action is to be fair, a rich black student should not be granted preferential treatment that is denied to a poor white student; rather, an individual’s circumstances should be looked at holistically to determine the extent of adversity he/she has undergone. As an upper-middle-class white male, I can’t tell someone who has had a far more difficult life, “Sorry, but that’s what you get for being born into a black family residing in a poor neighborhood.” Affirmative action, as it is currently being implemented, recognizes that extrinsic factors can have a substantial effect on one’s future and seeks to provide a level playing field. Although it does need to be refined somewhat, it is a very good policy overall. And there’s absolutely no reason to feel insecure or guilty because you’ve been helped by affirmative action; you should only feel guilty if you squander the opportunity you’ve been given and have striven for through ungrounded feelings of inferiority.</p>
<p>Of course, there’s also the issue of the legacy of slavery; personally, I believe we owe the descendants of slaves trillions of dollars for the unpaid labor their ancestors were forced to perform (not to mention the attendant brutality). And let’s not forgot how we stole half of Mexico, either.</p>
<p>Also, I completely agree with the psychological effects mentioned about AA. It damanges their self-esteem in the long run, as they might develop beliefs that their achievements were not based on merit, but rather on external support for internal deficits. If a student through out college holds this idea that he got through some kind of aid, he will be less motivated to carry on further accomplishments that challenges his capabilities.</p>
<p>I hate to be a jerk and all, but I personally didn’t enslave any African Americans, so the idea that I need or should have to make amends for it makes me laugh. It’s like the silly argument for reparation made by people who are guilty for some unknown reason. I wouldn’t say I’m proud to be white (people who are proud of their race tend to have precious little to be proud of, I’ve found), but I certainly feel no shame, guilt, or need to apologize for it.</p>
<p>I’m not going to argue this point any further, since trying to convince a bunch of bored college kids on an online forum is the last thing I have time for. Happy debating</p>
<p>A biracial student at my school who plays no sports and has no activities was accepted into Columbia with a 3.2 and an 1820 board score. How is that possible?</p>
<p>Affirmative action IS reverse discrimination. This is coming from a “URM” by the way. I want to get ahead, but not because someone feels feels sorrow for me for having high levels of melanin.</p>
<p>There shouldn’t even be a spot for race on any applications. That way, people get in on their own merits, and not to fulfill some quota. Needless to say I think affirmative action is a ridiculous policy.</p>
I don’t go around making excusing because of the color of my skin and I just live like and make friends, I don’t care what they look like! In fact I prefer diversity because I learn more that way. =) (I don’t really have that many black friends to be honest)</p>