Is Affirmative Action Fair?

Question

So I know there are all these fuss about affirmative action when it comes to college admission. There are those people who are historically less advantage than others. However, does it make it right for colleges to give a better advantage towards certain minorities? I had a friend who was Asian, he worked his *** off in high school. He was probably the most dedicated guy I ever met. He wanted really hard to get into Duke University, which was his dream school. When he got his admission results in April of last year, he was rejected. He later found out someone else from our school got into Duke who happened to be a latino with a much lower grade academics, in terms of scores and grades and everything that my friend had done in high school. I have never seen someone so heart broken. He said he was discriminated. He said he worked so hard and put so much effort just so he could be rejected because of his race. Is it fair?

Answer 1

Let's see what MLK Jr has to say

"...not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

This dude said it right 40 years ago. Giving advantages to people just because thier race is wrong. It was wrong back then and wrong now. Everyone has the abillity to apply them selves, to learn, and to live.

Answer 2

Just as your friend is more than just an Asian, the other person was more than a Latino. Your friend's assumption that the ONLY reason the other person got in when he did not was narrow-minded. The other student may have written a better essay, or had better recommendations, or something else that your friend would never know about. Admissions are complicated, and no school admits people JUST because they are of a particular race - that has been found to be discriminatory, but in many states, they will consider race as one of a number of factors they consider when making admissions decisions. You also need to realize that there is nothing magical about GPA and SAT scores. They are flawed measures of potential for success in college. That is why colleges look at the entire application to make these decisions.

Answer 3

It is fair people some individuals who own a business are in fact racist and do hold many jobs. It is unfair because a person will get promoted based on their skin color to fill in a quota or a go to college to fill in a quota while other people who were qualified were denied because the color of their skin. It is, essentially, reverse racism. Honestly, if you hate a certain race, but that guy of a certain race could do a better job and make more money then someone else, you would probably promote/hire him or he would find a better job else where. Making money is lost when someone uses race as a factor. Affirmative Action Liberal Due to prevalent racism in the past, minorities were deprived of the same education and employment opportunities as whites. The government must work to make up for that. America is still a racist society, therefore a federal affirmative action law is necessary. Due to unequal opportunity, minorities still lag behind whites in all statistical measurements of success.(<----- not true, youtube thomas sowell) Conservative Individuals should be admitted to schools and hired for jobs based on their ability. It is unfair to use race as a factor in the selection process. Reverse-discrimination is not a solution for racism. Some individuals in society are racist, but American society as a whole is not. Preferential treatment of certain races through affirmative action is wrong. on a side note lbj's liberal *** public schools intended to help blacks did the opposite and are the most recent cause for their belief of affirmative action..." minorities were deprived of the same education and employment opportunities as whites."

Answer 4

You know, this is a really sensitive subject...

In high school, I was never a fan of Affirmative Action. I've always felt that you should get what you work for end of story. Just because you're of a minority doesn't mean you should get preferential treatment.

HOWEVER, when I went to college and learned more about it, I have to say that my entire mind-set changed. There are so many students who do not always have to same resources that those of the majority have. I think it's important to realize that "minority" is not just in terms of RACE but in terms of SEC (socio-economic class) as well. Think about it (and I'll even shake it up for you, lol). As an upper-middle class African American woman, I've had access to some of the better public schools in the country. We always had the newer editions of text books, there were computers in every classroom at my high school AND we had two computer labs AND we had about 30 computers in the media center. I had a hell-of-a better chance at success than say a white male who lives in rural Wyoming at a school with only one computer in the principals office and text books dating back to the mid '90s.

Affirmative action would help the white male student more than it would help me because I basically had a head start. When you are applying to college against people who have been exposed to more and had better opportunities than you in the past, the only way of helping (right now) is to level the playing field with affirmative action.

Granted, it is more like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound but it's better than nothing until we can find a way to make things more equal from the beginning of education (kindergarten)

I know this was long but I really hope it helps.

Answer 5

First, don't consider just race. Did your friend play a sport, did he play an instrument, did he paint, did he write? Maybe, the Latino did one or more of those things. Universities search for students who will contribute to the campus environment and maybe make a few bucks off him or her as well. "Answer Nazis" who go to class and then, spend the rest of the day in his or her dorm need not apply. Furthermore, affirmative action is needed to establish and maintain a diverse learning environment because in the real world, we must be tolerant of and able to work with people of all races from all backgrounds. Duke may have had too many Asians and not enough Latinos; have you considered that?

Answer 6

Life is not fair. Affirmative action was created to help minorities overcome the prejudices that were keeping them out of schools, jobs, etc.
Now, we have the exact opposite situation, Less qualified minorities are getting jobs, grants, and everything else just because of the color of their skin, which restroom they use, or is the have a handicap. All things considered, a minority has an advantage, just because the popular opiinion is that they are already at a disadvantage. Remember the famous quote from "Animal Farm"........All animals are equal, some are just more equal than others.

Answer 7

NOOOOO!!! its not fair at ALL!! I plan to go to UF and I have worked my butt off and im a sophomore. Im white and its unfair that I might not get accpeted and someone thats stupid and is black or hispanic gets in! It should goto the person with the best grades and application. NOT FAIR AT ALL!!!

Answer 8

colleges are unfair money grabbing rackets with or without affirmative action .But I know what you meant.

Answer 9

No this is proof that whites apply themselves better than other races.