Affirmative action has been the subject of increasing debate and tension in
American society. Affirmative action is the nation’s most ambitious attempt to
redress the issues of racial and sexual discrimination. According to the
University of Rhode Island, Affirmative action is defined as, the specific
actions in recruitment, hiring, upgrading and other areas designed and taken for
the purpose of eliminating the present effects of past discrimination, or
present discrimination (www.riuniversity.edu , 8). This allows minorities and
women to be given special consideration in education and many other areas. The
need for affirmative action is essential to college admissions credentials.
Institutions with affirmative action policies generally set goals for increased
diversity and equal opportunity among minority students. Our society is not one
of equality, but affirmative action provides a way that problems with inequality
can be address to the public. Minorities such as African-Americans, Asians, and
Hispanics live mostly in urban areas that have large populations. Therefore,
many minorities normally attend lower quality schools. Colleges usually do not
take into account that students come from different backgrounds and different
quality schools. The students that have better intermediate and secondary
schools have an advantage in college admissions, which exclude many minorities.
Affirmative action helps students who come from a lower quality secondary school
to have a chance to prove themselves in accredited college. Another advantage of
affirmative action is that it provides an environment of diversity. Diversity is
essential to colleges and students. As part of higher education, students learn
from face-to-face interaction with faculty member and other students to work
productively inside and outside the classroom. Racial diversity can enhance
college atmosphere by improving communications. It can also develop
understanding among individuals of different races. Affirmative action can help
students overcome prejudices when students discover just how much they have in
common with their peers from other races. The educational benefit of affirmative
action is that majority of the students who has previously lack significant
direct exposure to minorities, frequently have the most to gain from interaction
with individuals. Diversity on college and university campuses may be something
that helps people expand their mind, or be open to new opportunities. In the
article “Needed” documentation of how affirmative action benefits all
students, it discusses how it is essential t colleges and students to have
minorities on the campuses (6). In the section, The Evidence for Diversity: Then
and Now, it states: In Justice Powell’s opinion, Baake relied heavily on the
Harvard Plan. The admissions policy of Harvard College include justification for
considering race as one of many factors used in deciding whom to admit. The plan
stated that “of Harvard College is to continue to offer first rate education
to its students, minority representation in the undergraduate body would be
ignored (2). Justice Powell went on to support diversity plan, which was in
1978. I the seventies, the same things were happening as it is today. People
were fighting to have their race or someone else’s as a factor in college
admissions. Although this happened at Harvard in 1978, it continues today all
over the United States. The article goes on to state that twenty years later
much has changed, yet we still rely on anecdotal evidence to support the claim
that a racially diverse student body is essential to quality education (2).
Affirmative action dealing with college is still trying to make campuses a more
diverse place with a racially diverse student body. Admitting someone into
college or a university because they are smart, not only gives them a chance to
be someone, but it also allows that campus to be diversified. In the article,
“Diversity Fades on Campus,” it says “schools routinely make exceptions
for jocks, the children of big donors and alumni, and friends of power brokers.
So why shouldn’t these same schools be allowed to make exceptions for minority
students.” Minority students need the same advantages as jocks or students of
big donors to have an equal opportunity in school. Affirmative action gives the
same exceptions that some students who aren’t minorities receive t get into
college. According to Jackie Snow in the article “ The Positive Aspects of
Affirmative Action” the author states that minority and women remain
economically disadvantage. Also it points out that the average women with a
master degree earns the same amount of as the average men with an associates
degree (42). When you hear about things like this, it makes minority feel like
equality is something we will never reach. This maybe why in the past
twenty-five years, the rate of students entering college dropped by 25% less
than that of whites, and for Hispanics 49%. There are many people who don’t
see affirmative action as a positive thing and would like to see it eliminated.
People need to realize that thirty years of affirmative action is not enough
time solve all of history’s problem. Affirmative action has progressed
significantly in helping the problem of racial inequality in America.
Affirmative action is something society needs to support, until better and more
effective plans are proposed. People who are against affirmative action, have
their opinion for not wanting it. The argument of being for and being against
affirmative action is going to keep growing larger and larger until the battle
to keep it will never end. There two good sides to this controversy. Being for
it holds so many positive points for society and making better. Minorities can
have a better chance of getting into a top college and universities. The side of
being against affirmative action has some useful opinions because some people
feel that society doesn’t need to be changed. Also they feel that affirmative
action will injure white men and violate their rights and feel that
nondiscrimination will achieve our social goals and that stronger affirmative
action is unnecessary. Everyone deserves a chance to do something and be
someone. Getting admitted into college maybe the step that minorities need to
feel that we can reach equality. The minority race has always been looked down
upon and though this won’t solve the problem, it will help reach that goal. As
a minority in today’s society, I am for affirmative action and at the same
time against it. I support the idea that affirmative action will benefit a
college community by making it more diverse. If you look at the statistics and
attitudes of people, this provides a powerful evidence of intractable
discrimination against women and minorities. I don’t feel that affirmative
action can be used to solve the problem from the past. I feel that affirmative
action is a positive aim but should not be used to justify equality. Until the
day 100% of minorities can say they aren’t being discriminated against,
affirmative action should continue. Affirmative Action Affirmative action has
been the subject of increasing debate and tension in American society.
Affirmative action is the nation’s most ambitious attempt to redress the
issues of racial and sexual discrimination. According to the University of Rhode
Island, Affirmative action is defined as, the specific actions in recruitment,
hiring, upgrading and other areas designed and taken for the purpose of
eliminating the present effects of past discrimination, or present
discrimination (www.riuniversity.edu , 8). This allows minorities and women to
be given special consideration in education and many other areas. The need for
affirmative action is essential to college admissions credentials. Institutions
with affirmative action policies generally set goals for increased diversity and
equal opportunity among minority students. Our society is not one of equality,
but affirmative action provides a way that problems with inequality can be
address to the public. Minorities such as African-Americans, Asians, and
Hispanics live mostly in urban areas that have large populations. Therefore,
many minorities normally attend lower quality schools. Colleges usually do not
take into account that students come from different backgrounds and different
quality schools. The students that have better intermediate and secondary
schools have an advantage in college admissions, which exclude many minorities.
Affirmative action helps students who come from a lower quality secondary school
to have a chance to prove themselves in accredited college. Another advantage of
affirmative action is that it provides an environment of diversity. Diversity is
essential to colleges and students. As part of higher education, students learn
from face-to-face interaction with faculty member and other students to work
productively inside and outside the classroom. Racial diversity can enhance
college atmosphere by improving communications. It can also develop
understanding among individuals of different races. Affirmative action can help
students overcome prejudices when students discover just how much they have in
common with their peers from other races. The educational benefit of affirmative
action is that majority of the students who has previously lack significant
direct exposure to minorities, frequently have the most to gain from interaction
with individuals. Diversity on college and university campuses may be something
that helps people expand their mind, or be open to new opportunities. In the
article “Needed” documentation of how affirmative action benefits all
students, it discusses how it is essential t colleges and students to have
minorities on the campuses (6). In the section, The Evidence for Diversity: Then
and Now, it states: In Justice Powell’s opinion, Baake relied heavily on the
Harvard Plan. The admissions policy of Harvard College include justification for
considering race as one of many factors used in deciding whom to admit. The plan
stated that “of Harvard College is to continue to offer first rate education
to its students, minority representation in the undergraduate body would be
ignored (2). Justice Powell went on to support diversity plan, which was in
1978. I the seventies, the same things were happening as it is today. People
were fighting to have their race or someone else’s as a factor in college
admissions. Although this happened at Harvard in 1978, it continues today all
over the United States. The article goes on to state that twenty years later
much has changed, yet we still rely on anecdotal evidence to support the claim
that a racially diverse student body is essential to quality education (2).
Affirmative action dealing with college is still trying to make campuses a more
diverse place with a racially diverse student body. Admitting someone into
college or a university because they are smart, not only gives them a chance to
be someone, but it also allows that campus to be diversified. In the article,
“Diversity Fades on Campus,” it says “schools routinely make exceptions
for jocks, the children of big donors and alumni, and friends of power brokers.
So why shouldn’t these same schools be allowed to make exceptions for minority
students.” Minority students need the same advantages as jocks or students of
big donors to have an equal opportunity in school. Affirmative action gives the
same exceptions that some students who aren’t minorities receive t get into
college. According to Jackie Snow in the article “ The Positive Aspects of
Affirmative Action” the author states that minority and women remain
economically disadvantage. Also it points out that the average women with a
master degree earns the same amount of as the average men with an associates
degree (42). When you hear about things like this, it makes minority feel like
equality is something we will never reach. This maybe why in the past
twenty-five years, the rate of students entering college dropped by 25% less
than that of whites, and for Hispanics 49%. There are many people who don’t
see affirmative action as a positive thing and would like to see it eliminated.
People need to realize that thirty years of affirmative action is not enough
time solve all of history’s problem. Affirmative action has progressed
significantly in helping the problem of racial inequality in America.
Affirmative action is something society needs to support, until better and more
effective plans are proposed. People who are against affirmative action, have
their opinion for not wanting it. The argument of being for and being against
affirmative action is going to keep growing larger and larger until the battle
to keep it will never end. There two good sides to this controversy. Being for
it holds so many positive points for society and making better. Minorities can
have a better chance of getting into a top college and universities. The side of
being against affirmative action has some useful opinions because some people
feel that society doesn’t need to be changed. Also they feel that affirmative
action will injure white men and violate their rights and feel that
nondiscrimination will achieve our social goals and that stronger affirmative
action is unnecessary. Everyone deserves a chance to do something and be
someone. Getting admitted into college maybe the step that minorities need to
feel that we can reach equality. The minority race has always been looked down
upon and though this won’t solve the problem, it will help reach that goal. As
a minority in today’s society, I am for affirmative action and at the same
time against it. I support the idea that affirmative action will benefit a
college community by making it more diverse. If you look at the statistics and
attitudes of people, this provides a powerful evidence of intractable
discrimination against women and minorities. I don’t feel that affirmative
action can be used to solve the problem from the past. I feel that affirmative
action is a positive aim but should not be used to justify equality. Until the
day 100% of minorities can say they aren’t being discriminated against,
affirmative action should continue.