<p>controversy, GO!</p>
<p>I just dislike that despite the fact that affirmative action is illegal, some people rudely point out that accomplishments are "because" you are a certain ethnicity or whatnot as opposed to merit & hard work. Give. me. a. break. If I tried harder than you & succeeded no need to get bitter and no need to make up excuses, you know? :P</p>
<p>I'm pretty much neutral.</p>
<p>Hhmm...yay? I remember that went down when I was a junior in high school and it was brought up in class discussion a lot. Good times.</p>
<p>I am glad prop 209 made it illegal to "grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting"</p>
<p>pretty much with WoT
except pro 209</p>
<p>biggest benefiter from affirmative action: WOMEN!</p>
<p>i just think it is really sad how some portions of the population in california are overly represented threefold in a UC system funded, built, and supported by generations of californians</p>
<p>what system do u suggest then? random seletion instead of merrit? that way everyone would have a fair shot at enrollment right?</p>
<p>Damn, I was really hoping that being white would help me get in as a minority at Irvine and Cal :-(</p>
<p>Women at least for college admissions would not benefit from affirmative action because they are the majority at pretty much every college.</p>
<p>I'm a minority I just don't want something like that to overshadow or underestimate things I've worked hard for by my own merit. I don't like when people say, well you got have a great shot at being admitted because you're <em>(insert background)</em>_. Really? How do you figure?</p>
<p>That'd be like me saying... "Well I got a 4.0 last semester because I'm <em>(i.b.)</em>, too." Wait, no, I just try harder, thanks.</p>
<p>I truly hate affirmative action. The whole premise of the idea actually ruins the whole entire movement. We want our society to not judge people based on the differences of skin/ethnicity/social background. What this idea does is force people to look at these differences.</p>
<p>I want social, ethnic, and gender equality. This isn't the answer.</p>
<p>You're right, it just makes people bitter, people on both sides of the coin, mind you.</p>
<p>I understand how affirmative action was important when it first begun - back then, it really was necessary. Now, though, I think it would be more effective based on socioeconomic brackets.</p>
<p>Fact of the matter is, people will always feel this way. People will always feel you are undeserving of a spot for any number of reasons. </p>
<p>What prop 209 essentially did was take away the "advantage" given by affirmative action, but managed to leave behind the stigma associated with it. Now those of who succeed by our own merit are marginalized by the fact that most people still assume it's in practice. Thanks a lot ass.holes.</p>
<p>Also? What was so bad about affirmative action in the first place? Where are the protest groups fighting against preference being given to legacy's, sports stars, or the wealthy? </p>
<p>I'm in favor of giving those with a low income background preferential treatment when it comes to admissions. But guess what? In Cali, most of the low income folk are minorities. So in effect, it'll still be a boost to people of a certain color... </p>
<p>
i just think it is really sad how some portions of the population in california are overly represented threefold in a UC system funded, built, and supported by generations of californians.
</p>
<p>I could not agree more. Diversity requirements are a good thing in my opinion. For the sole reason that it exposes folk to different cultures and people. I think it's sad when a people make up roughly 12% of the population, but according to anecdotal evidence, account for 50% of the student body at a university...</p>
<p>Wow, you guys are all hovering around my position. Carwatha summed it up well. </p>
<p>A bunch of thoughtful centrists, this thread makes me happy about the California college system</p>
<p>Also, </p>
<p>
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ITSELF has been defined as any measure, beyond simple termination of a discriminatory practice, adopted to correct or compensate for past or present discrimination or to prevent discrimination from recurring in the future.
</p>
<p>In no way has affirmative action been in practice long enough to accomplish this.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I completely agree with you. My achievements have nothing to do with race and it's disheartening when someone downplays them because of some "model minority" stereotype that people my race tend to excel in academics. What people don't seem to realize is that there are also many, particularly those who come from a lower-class background, who do poorly in academics, are forced to drop out of school to supplement the family income, and essentially face the same conditions as other poor people.</p>
<p>What I find to be just as sad is the conviction that a person doesn't deserve a spot at a university solely because of the overrepresentation of his/her race. As if race is supposed to matter more than his/her individual achievements, as if race should be the factor that keeps him/her away from the pursuit of the education he/she seeks to attain, and as if this person will inevitably feel kinship toward other members of the same race.</p>
<p>Race isn't going to hinder someone from achieving in academics unless that person believes it will through a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can greatly enhance your chances of succeeding in academics if you put in the work. Take me as an example; I used to get poor grades until I began to value my education and started putting in the work in college.</p>
<p>i hate affirmative action.</p>
<p>
Race isn't going to hinder someone from achieving in academics unless that person believes it will through a self-fulfilling prophecy.
</p>
<p>At no point in history has this ever been true. Even a cursory glance at most studies done on race and education should have lead you to this conclusion.</p>
<p>Anchor, in what way does race prevent someone from achieving in academics? Please explain.</p>
<p>Off the top of my head:
Racial Segregation</p>
<p>Just a few links from 10 seconds of googling:</p>
<p><a href="http://academic.udayton.edu/race/04needs/education04.htm%5B/url%5D">http://academic.udayton.edu/race/04needs/education04.htm</a>
[url=<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=1jndNzH05JsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=race+education&sig=Po1jmaQObmKjP9NzSZ4olQkZzHI#PPA268,M1%5DRace">http://books.google.com/books?id=1jndNzH05JsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=race+education&sig=Po1jmaQObmKjP9NzSZ4olQkZzHI#PPA268,M1]Race</a>, Identity and Representation in ... - Google Book Search<a href="page%20268%20is%20an%20interesting%20read">/url</a></p>