Racial discrimination when job hunting?

Question

Are minority minimums in businesses still necessary? I'm getting sick of hearing that I can't fill a position because they need an "ethnically diverse" employee. Has anyone else experienced this? Isn't that racial discrimination? What do you think?

Answer 1

Although it hasn't affected me personally, my company does still believe in affirmitive action - or hiring minorities. They are all about helping those who need help - i think if people want the help, they are able to find ways to help themselves. Don't get me wrong - it's great to help people, but to actively seek somebody who needs help when you have qualified people eager to start working boggles my mind. But at my diversity training, the HR rep came right out and said if the company can fill a position with a minority over a white person, that the minority will get the job. This was in June too. I dunno, i'm all about whooever is MOST qualified should get the job; otherwise you're short-changing your company - yeah it's great to have a company where you hae people from every nation working there - but what if the guy from Slovakia is an idiot and you hired him over some American who really knew what they were doing? Silly - i think they need to stop the affirmative action. Good ? girlie!

Answer 2

Well the Affirmative action was started in a good time! It helped alot of minorities that were very capable of doing a job but couln't get the job because of their race! now it's a different time so we can do away with it now! Me being a black female, i have never had to go through that! As far as i can tell i have been discriminated against with jobs a couple times, i'm only 23! Maybe they can pull the bar down a bit on the ethnically diverse. Then again i been to some places in cities and applied for jobs but i wouln't get the application but some of my white friends could go into the same place and get the application and the job! They wouln't even give me a chance but I thought it was rude and hurtful but it happens! So there are pros and cons to the situation

Answer 3

Affirmative Action only applies to the federal government and organizations/corporations that receive federal funding. Private companies are NOT required to hire any minorities. It's public perception that forces a privately- or publicly- owned company to hire minorities.

To answer your questions :

"Are minority minimums in businesses still necessary?"

There is no law that says a company has to hire any minorities, with the notable exceptions mentioned above.

"Has anyone else experienced this?"

I haven't.

"Isn't this racial discrimination? What do you think?"

Privately- and publicly-owned companies can hire whoever they want to. If the population in the neighborhood where the company is located is of a particular ethnic group, it would make sense that they would want a small representation of that group working at their company. It all comes down to public perception. For a major example, look at Wal-mart, who was criticized by women's rights groups for not having enough women in management positions relative to the number of women employees. They soon changed their policy to promote more women. Is that an example of gender discrimination? No. It's an example of companies acquiescing to public demand. If Wal-mart to were to exclusively hire white employees only, I can assure you that they would lose a large majority of their customers because they would boycott them. This same "rule" applies to all companies.

Answer 4

It's not illegal, it's called affirmative action. It's something that was put into place to prevent employers from hiring someone who was white, solely because they are white. Personally, I think these days it's used against whites, the way employers used to discriminate against minorities and that the whole thing should be done away with.

If your business is so unethical that you'd hire someone solely based on thier race, I wouldn't want to work for you anyway!

Answer 5

Although I am a nurse and there are no such quotas in my profession, I have heard of it and it's due to pressure from the federal government, the state governements and, indirectly, the public. It's a lot of things but it's not racial discrimination -- it's called the law.

Answer 6

Yes, I'm blond and white, was told that several times. The ONLY thing I had going for me was that I'm female. If you are male and white? You're really screwed.
And as said above, many places won't fire blacks because they're afraid they'll get sued for discrimination. Been in that situation too. Girl was caught sleeping in the stockroom, was always late or out sick, we had to pick up her slack. If anyone said something to her, she'd get loud and obnoxious, call us racist.

Answer 7

Of course it's racial discrimination...but some people seem to think that SOME racial discrimination is OK...if it goes in the "right" direction. (Despite the fact that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 specifically prohibits it.)
I despise George Bush...but in the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that he has appointed two justices to the Supreme Court who will (I hope) rule based on what the law says...not on what some people think it SHOULD say.
Good luck with the job hunt...

Answer 8

yeah that is called racial discrimination...i applied for a job at a car dealership and the hiring manager took one look at me and walk away and told me to leave the paper work with the secretary which didnt even wait for me to leave to file it in the trash can.

Answer 9

Someone actually told you that???????? That is illegal big time. What kinds of positions and companies were you looking at? Unless you were going for theater or television roles you were discriminated against, in my opinion.

Answer 10

Affirmative action is retarded. Same goes when you have a minority that isnt doing their job, employers are afraid to fire them.