The time for affirmative action is over

Jaeyub Chung
AlisoNiguel High school
11th Grade

Equality has always been an intrinsic part of America. The American Revolution, Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Suffrage — they are all examples of the American doctrine of egalitarianism. However, it would seem that this tenet is currently being challenged by the policy of Affirmative Action.

Affirmative Action is defined as any policy that aims to provide equal opportunity to all groups of people. It was first implemented in the mid-1900s during a time of racial turmoil, aiming to secure working opportunities for minority groups, particularly African Americans. At the time, Affirmative Action was indeed beneficial for the country. With racism still rife in the country, it was necessary for the federal government to intervene and ensure equal opportunity.

As a result, the number of minorities in the workplace had increased substantially. However, affirmative action has begun to focus more on the educational sphere, which has given rise to myriad problems.

There are many problems with the current use of Affirmative Action. Firstly, it implies that certain ethnic groups are inferior to others, as they require special help. Furthermore, it would lower the standards of students in these ethnic groups. This will cause students to strive for less and achieve only what is expected of them. However, perhaps the largest detriment of Affirmative Action is that it would give rise to racial discrimination. In addition to providing equal opportunities for college, Affirmative Action now seeks to maintain diversity. While this may seem to be a positive for the country, it contradicts the American tenet of equality. Admission officers are now allowed to discriminate and reject and accept applicants based in part on their race.

This is particularly harmful for Asian-Americans. Since the Asian population has risen so dramatically, Asian applicants face more difficulties when compared to other ethnicities. According to a Princeton study, it was found that Asian students had to score a 140 points higher on the SAT then other students. This is a major problem in the education system. It seems as though education is not based off of intellectual ability, but racial preference. While it is important to maintain diversity in colleges, it is far more important that qualified students get the opportunity they deserve regardless of their color.

Some argue that minority groups like Hispanics and African Americans still do not possess the ability to afford a quality education and subsequently require affirmative action to ensure equal opportunities. While this may be true, it is important to take into account that many Asian families also struggle financially. An Asian student from a poor background will be discriminated against despite having the same difficulties as the other minority groups for which Affirmative Action is designed to protect. On the other hand, an African American who comes from a wealthy background will possess an unfair advantage over other students.

Affirmative Action is an outdated policy whose benefits have been outweighed by its disadvantages. It directly contradicts the American Constitution and has given rise to racial discrimination, which is the very thing that it was designed to prevent. The time has come to put an end to the great hypocrisy that is Affirmative Action.

6 Comments

1. Joseph Alves

   May 27, 2016 at 5:42 AM

   I am an American and live in America.Your editorial reflects what the majority of Americans believe but are afraid to discuss.What you fail to recognize,however,is that under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Asians are identified as a “protected ” class.This is not well known because Asians haven’t needed this avenue because of their talent and industry.

   Reply
2. Ting Ying

   May 27, 2016 at 6:29 PM

   When the U.S. bans affirmative action, it will be harder for foreigners to attend college in the U.S.. Preference will be granted to Americans. Affirmative action has largely benefitted white women and Asian immigrants. Very few of those receiving affirmative action are African American and Hispanic, even though they are the ones that people get most riled up about. When it is banned, we will go back to a system where white men get the upper hand and no one keeps track of who gets admitted. Asians will only be allowed into fields like math, engineering, medicine and accounting, where they are stereotyped as “good at math”. Asians will be limited to schools like UC Berkeley, MIT, and UCLA. Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Princeton will go back to being mostly for white males.

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3. Jorge Cruz

   May 31, 2016 at 2:10 PM

   This is the view point of a high school student that comes from an upper middle class area of California. I suggest he take a drive to Compton or Englewood. Tour some of the high schools there and then come back and tell us if he thinks that the playing field is level with his high school. If he had to walk 6 blocks each way to school and back on the south or west side of Chicago, would his grades be as high as a student that gets driven to school in Winnetka? It is easy to presume that everyone is now given equal opportunities when your parents are college educated and you have access to computers in every classroom.

   Reply
4. tom jang

   June 2, 2016 at 7:58 PM

   keep everything the same. as is right now. the future is for everybody.

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5. Steve Langstroth

   June 3, 2016 at 9:43 AM

   So-called ‘Affirmative Action’ is just government-sponsored racism. Almost 32 years ago, I was denied a job, because of my white skin. I know, because they told me to my face. Who knows how many other job opportunities I lost due to the same cause? I don’t want reparations. I don’t want money. I don’t even want an apology. All I want is for my son to not face the same crap 10 years from now, when he enters the job market.

   If Asians don’t like ‘Affirmative Action’, that’s great. Welcome aboard and….welcome to my world. Anyone who thinks they need ‘Affirmative Action’ deserves to be stuck mopping floors and cleaning toilets for a living. That would include ‘Affirmative Action’ Queen, US Supreme Court Justice, Sonja Sotomayor.

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