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Affirmative Action
Many people dream of living in America to achieve the American dream because America is perceived to be the land of opportunities. However, equality is one of the most challenging factors limiting people from accessing basic services like education. Ethnic minority groups face inequality, limiting their ability to access such services as education. Affirmative action is one of the government strategies to promote equality among different nationalities and inspire freedom and diversity.
For years, the negative effects of Affirmative Action policies have seen several cases brought to court to determine the true meaning of equality. Through affirmative action, the government believed that everyone would access equal opportunities. Several institutions, especially colleges and universities have taken a big leap in addressing equality within the learning institutions. Currently, ethnic minority groups can access many learning institutions thanks to affirmative action policies.
Affirmative action is viewed to be ineffective in addressing equality as white students oppose affirmative action because it discourages hard-working students and it is unfair to the students who work hard to get good grades. While other students support affirmative action because through such policies, ethnic minorities have achieved their career dreams. The Fisher V. University of Texas case is an example of several cases seeking to oppose affirmative action. In this case, the plaintiff argues that affirmative action stigmatizes recipients, making them feel less deserving and less qualified.
Affirmative action policies were established to integrate all ethnic minority groups within the various institutions. Many people support affirmative action because they believe everyone deserves to be treated fairly. However, a majority of the white population opposes this policy because they believe that it is a reverse form of discrimination.
The Supreme Court ruling about race being a factor to consider when universities admit students has been objected to by white students. For them, such a ruling violates the constitutional rights which protect people against discrimination. Affirmative action is considered to be unconstitutional because it discriminates against white students.
To justify their arguments, opponents of affirmative action gave an example where two students, one white and the other being black, grew up as good friends, attending the same school and the same social clubs. The white student manages to get a better score as compared to the black student. If the white student is admitted to the same college as the black student who did not meet the criteria to be enrolled in this college, the white student will feel discouraged by the learning process. Therefore, college admission that considers students based on race discourages a student from learning.
It is a fact that ethnic minorities have been discriminated against for years. The ethnic minority groups, especially the black community, have not been treated the same as white people. Solving inequality using affirmative action is not the best solution because giving preferential treatment to an ethnic minority student in college discriminates against white students. That opposing affirmative action believes that these policies undermine the minority groups, making them feel less capable and inferior. Affirmative action makes them feel they are not capable of working hard to achieve good grades.
To be accepted in any college means that students need to work hard and earn this privilege. Going to college is a long journey that starts from childhood; it is about school work, homework, making sacrifices to go to the best college finally, and this is a rite of passage many students look forward to. It has not been easy for other students to see ethnic minority students accepted in college based on their race. For them, giving minority groups preferences over white students is an unfair practice.
In the recent case opposing affirmative action, Abigail Fisher believed that affirmative action policies stigmatize students. Fisher argued out her case based on her experience as a white student. Fischer failed to qualify for admission at the University of Texas, but other ethnic minorities whom she believed did not qualify were admitted. Fischer argues that the decision by universities and colleges to admit students based on race violates the 14th amendment of the Equal Protection Clause. According to Fischer, affirmative action is likely to cause tension among different ethnic groups.
Proponents of affirmative action always point out that the social stigma directed towards ethnic minorities is the worst form of discrimination as compared to affirmative action. They believe that affirmative action policies have opened up several opportunities for every student to minimize social stigma. Affirmative action for them is the best approach to promote diversity, especially within the learning institutions. By doing so, these institutions create tolerance because students are exposed to a variety of cultures and ideas.
It is a fact that Affirmative action policies have assisted children from disadvantaged backgrounds to access learning opportunities that they could only dream of achieving, giving them an equal playing field. However, not everyone supports affirmative action policies. Opponents of affirmative action believe that affirmative action has not eliminated racism or discrimination; ethnic minorities still experience discrimination in other forms. These policies give minority groups an unearned advantage over other groups of individuals. Some of these ethnic minority groups access opportunities they do not deserve just to fulfill the affirmative action requirements.
When admitting students, several factors like hard work, good grades, and students’ determination need to be the basis of admission, but not their race. Affirmative action does not promote these virtues. Instead, it increases discrimination. Ethnic minorities experience discrimination every day, and experts emphasize comprehensive policies that address discrimination from a wider perspective. For years, ethnic minority groups struggled to find decent work as compared to whites, even though they are well educated and meet all the criteria required for the job. Based on these facts, affirmative action has not fulfilled its goals, which are to provide equal opportunities, especially among the underprivileged minorities. Instead, affirmative action policies have resulted in irrational decision-making based on ethnicity. Even though the government still supports affirmative action, this is not the best way to promote diversity which is why the debate continues on how American society can truly promote equality.