Pro-Affirmative: Benefits for the Minority
Affirmative Action is a program of opportunity; it is not a program of discrimination. This is the major argument people use in defending Affirmative Action. Whites claim they are now discriminated against because of this program and that minorities get the upper hand for the sake of filling a quota. However, Affirmative Action's mission is about opening up equal opportunity and ensuring equal opportunity with equal results.
The most prominent form of affirmative action centers on access to education, particularly admission to universities and other forms of tertiary instruction. Race, ethnicity, native language, social class, geographical origin, parental attendance of the university in question, and/or gender are often taken into account when assessing the meaning of an applicant's grades and test scores. Affirmative action programs at universities benefit mostly African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. Asian Americans, although a racial minority, do not benefit at most colleges because the rate of college education among Asian Americans is higher than the other racial groups (including whites).
An affirmative action study by Princeton researchers in 2005 attempted to break down and compare the effects of the practice among racial and special groups. The data from the study represent admissions disadvantage and advantage in terms of SAT points (on 1600-point scale): Blacks: +230, Hispanics: +185, Asians: −50, Recruited athletes: +200 Legacies (children of alumni): +160. For example, the college admission chances of a female university student will tend to be equal to that of a male student with SAT scores fifty points higher than hers.
As a matter of fact, quite a few additional factors are taken into consideration in whether or not a person gains admission, including athletic achievement, musical or other artistic abilities, extracurricular activities, volunteer efforts, outside work, admissions essays, etc. Unless one is arguing that all of these...
More Civil Rights
essays:
This argumentative essay in support of Affirmative Action including bibliography.
... affirmative action programs was dependent on one's race but subsequently extended to sex, national origin, and religion ("Affirmative Action" 122). However, with this context the focal points will be how affirmative action affect African Americans, how it bolstered the equal ...
An Ethical and Practical Defense of Affirmative Action
... continuing affirmative action programs and discuss the practical concerns that continuing such programs may raise. Perhaps the biggest complaint that one hears about affirmative action policies aimed at helping Black Americans is ...
Affirmative Action Makes Me Sad
... of affirmative action programs, in some cases with truly amazing results. In many cases affirmative action actually hindered Asian applicants attempting to get into elite universities. "As things stand now, a relatively low percentage of Asian-American students ...
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
... quotas" by critics). References: 1) Dictionary of American History, 2) http://www.infoplease.com/spot/Affirmativetimeline1. Html#1961 Late in the 1970's critics started arguing that the Affirmative Action Program led to preference and special treatment for women and minorities ...
Affirmative Action: The Consequences
... for equalizing opportunities for blacks and should be abolished. As stated before, the United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence calls for equality, and affirmative action today unfairly discriminates against Americans based ...
Affirmative Action: Rethink the Action
... Methodist University, argues with affirmative action programs when he said, "Affirmative action has good intentions, and probably was very effective and needed at first. Now, it has degenerated into pure and simple racism." Today, minorities have plenty of opportunities to ...
Affirmative Action Paper
... eliminate discrimination (N.A., 2001). Affirmative action has been a program that is aggressive, determined and systematic in the activities it helps to achieve diversity and equality for all. According to the Equal Opportunity Commission, Affirmative Action is ...
Legalized Discrimination in America this paper is about how affirmative action is a form of legalized discrimination towards whites in the United states.
... for racial preferences" (Sadler 70). Affirmative action is a form of legalized discrimination and should be abolished. For years minority groups have fought for their civil rights in the United States. African Americans, Native Americans, women ...