<p>Matt, you’re not listening. You don’t get to decide how somebody else is being treated. You won’t even always understand when someone whose ethnic background is different from yours in being treated badly.</p>
<p>This is the kind of thing that people learn by living in diverse communities. And THAT is why colleges want campus populations that are socioeconomically, religiously and even ethnically diverse.</p>
<p>This argument does not assume that minorities are less qualified than whites at all. This question was just questioning the fairness of receiving money ONLY due to ones skin color. Then, everyone came here basically labeling me a racist for asking why this happens. You don’t think its ignorant to proclaim racism every chance one gets?</p>
<p>Honestly, </p>
<p>Think about it logically, does someone who has not received the same start, supposed to be judged on an equal plane?</p>
<p>By being black, your friend comes from a line of people that have the odds against them. He is judged everyday by the color of his skin. His great great grand parents were probably slaves, who then received nothing, only 4 to 5 generations later and a generation after we had finally declared “separate but equal is inherently unequal” means that your black friend has not had the same opportunities as you.</p>
<p>That being said, I come from a heavily Jewish family, where my previous generations fought to abolish “Jewish quotas” that stated that a school would only accept an x amount of Jews because we didn’t want too many of them. Thankfully that is now illegal, just as schools do not have “black quotas” they only add it as one more thing when taking a holistic look at each applicant.</p>
<p>Well asians are the new jewish. We are obviously discriminated against, most of us from low income families, great grades, but lose out to a “minority” with equal opportunities because of their race. Schools not discriminating by race my ass…</p>
<p>^Obviously. That’s why this topic comes up all the time and starts a big debate.</p>
<p>OP, since you know so much about your neighbor’s circumstances, did affirmative action help his family achieve the same socioeconomic status as you? If yes, is it ok in this instance? If you don’t know, then how can you say you have had the same experiences? You have no idea what others go through. Even on my street, my white neighbors across the street, their house looks similar to mine, but they could be on the verge of foreclosure.</p>
<p>This argument your making is basically saying that there is no chance that he wasn’t subject to racism. I don’t think that argument is any good but there is n argument against it so no point arguing about that.</p>
<p>So because you believe racism in still rampant, he should receive MONEY for college? How the hell does giving him money solve the problem. Even if he did experience racism growing up(which at least did not effect his interaction with whites), how does that change what he brings to the college?</p>
<p>Jaddua, are you serious? The grades to get “diversity scholarships” are USUALLY lower than those to get the same amount of merit aid.</p>
<p>I reread your original post, Matt. You have something of a point.</p>
<p>But your thread title isn’t really about scholarships. It’s about ethnic diversity. It’s true, whether you believe it or not, that members of different ethnic and religious groups have very different experiences in America, and that different groups often see, hear and experience the very same stimulus in very different ways. You’ll never understand that if you live your life completely immersed in the dominant culture, which in America is white and Christian.</p>
<p>Targeted scholarships are one way colleges entice students who will create a good cultural mix on campus (whatever that means). You may not like that; I can’t do much about that. The system may not always work perfectly fairly; I can’t do much about that. But I am completely convinced the system does more good than harm–even when it works against white guys like me.</p>
<p>Students should be accepted to a college based on their academics and extracurricular activities alone and not their race, but unfortunately thats not how some colleges operate in the 21st century. However, if you read a recent study it said that Caucasians will be the minority by 2050, so by then things will be totally different. </p>
<p>Don’t assume white people don’t experience racism because it does happen and we’re not blind as you’ve said. People shouldn’t pull the race card either because you would be surprised how many people can relate to what you thought was just happening to you.</p>
<p>Susan, I’m not sure if affirmative action helped his parents. But why is that important because at this time, he is on an equal field as me. Is his advantage ever going to end? What I mean is that affirmative action might( or might not have) got his parents where they are today, but as of now his dad is a doctor and mom a teacher, he doesn’t need money or help(he is a smart kid). So why keep giving him the advantage?</p>
<p>Why not give affirmative action to white people who are in poor circumstances now? I think the economic situation of a family, rather than the color should judge the diversity scholarships they get.</p>
<p>I was under the impression that you were a strong applicant, but if you aren’t a competitive applicant for non-minority scholarships, then you don’t deserve the money. </p>
<p>Plus, there are fewer competitive minority (URM) applicants, and so a higher proportion can win substantial minority scholarships. On the other hand, there is a multitude of white, middle class applicants vying for scholarships.</p>
<p>Sikorsky, giving diversity scholarships does nothing but further separate races. The choice to pursue college, I believe, is much more based on finances rather than race. Colleges don’t have to entice African Americans to go to college. They are not stupid and I’m pretty sure they know the benefits of college. Living in a poor neighborhood, where you can’t afford to college would effect the student much more, and this is where the enticing with money should come into place.</p>
<p>I consider myself a strong applicant. I have the same grades as this African American who is getting all these diversity scholarships. So that means that if I were a minority, I would be getting money too. I will get some private scholarships of course, but its not like the African American student is barred from getting these. How do you not understand how this can seem unfair to me?</p>
<p>1) No, it does not further separate races.
2) You believe it is. The people who supply the money for these scholarships know otherwise. I would explain why but I’m not going to take the time to do so.
3) You’re not a minority. You don’t experience what the majority of minorities experience. There’s a chance that if you were a minority that you, like many other minorities, would not be achieving as highly as you are now. You don’t deserve minority scholarship money because you don’t know what it’s like to be a minority.</p>
<p>Jaddua, way to give insight.</p>
<p>So you don’t believe everyone is equal? and that we should give advantages to people just because skin color?</p>
<p>“Separates the races”? How do you know? I surely don’t know this to be true.</p>
<p>You’re talking about two separate things here: ethnically targeted scholarships, and socioeconomically targeted ones. You seem to think one’s bad and the other is good. I disagree. I think they’re both good, for the reasons I’ve tried to explain.</p>
<p>Furthermore, you’re talking as if the existence of ethnically targeted aid means there is no aid for, for want of a better term, poor white kids. I don’t think that’s so.</p>
<p>I’m done here. Be well. But try to be open to the possibility that you actually have no idea what non-white or non-Christian people experience in the very same surroundings you live in.</p>
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<p>Firstly, I added to my previous post. Secondly, I believe everyone is equal, but that many minorities are confronted with disadvantages and obstacles that you have never had to experience and will probably never understand or even notice.</p>
<p>If you talk to white students, you’ll see how many find it unfair that an African American will get money just because their race? or get into college because their race? </p>
<p>You could do worse as an African American and still get into the same college as a caucasian.</p>
<p>Skikorsky, there is no aid specifically for white students. Its not like a can get a diversity scholarship, while the African American student can get the same scholarships I have. He has more doors open than I do. Thats a fact.</p>
<p>Everybody knows that whites love to b***h and moan about this. And many of these whites are just whining because they don’t realize that the majority of African Americans who get into better colleges than them achieved more given their circumstances. </p>
<p>And Asians are hurt much more than whites are. If anyone is to whine, it should be them.</p>
<p>You say you and your friend are on the same level academically and socioeconomically. The idea behind affirmative action is to CONTINUE to ‘level the playing field’ by providing MORE minorities with the equal opportunity you and your friend have–IF you’re right about his not EVER being subject to racism. Because a lot of racism is subconscious or subtle-- it’s not all hate crimes. And it may have affected his grades or achievements.</p>
<p>Even if you’re right and your friend hasn’t suffered race-related difficulties, ever, at all, the people who give out diversity scholarships don’t have the right to assume that.</p>
<p>sorry for all the caps, i don’t know how to italicize.</p>