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A term referring to various government policies that aim to increase the proportion of African-Americans, women, and other minorities in jobs and educational institutions historically dominated by white men. The policies usually require employers and institutions to set goals for hiring or admitting minorities.
It's been nearly 50 years since the first affirmative action policies were put in place. Given the incredible diversity and integration in this country, are affirmative action programs still necessary? Do they even make sense?
Germany's and France's constitutions provide for equal rights of all people regardless of sex, race or social background. I think that way you can't even have affirmative action, since everybody must be treated equally. In Sweden and Slovakia it even says that affirmative action is not allowed.
Maybe we need the same.
Germany's and France's constitutions provide for equal rights of all people regardless of sex, race or social background. I think that way you can't even have affirmative action, since everybody must be treated equally. In Sweden and Slovakia it even says that affirmative action is not allowed.
Maybe we need the same.
That's interesting. I bet a lot of Americans would assume that European countries have strong affirmative action programs since they're so often labeled "socialist".
They were never necessary to begin with. Although I would admit that they have created a much larger black middle-class. Affirmative action has created a huge amount of racial tension, and a constant barrage of discrimination cases.
With that said, I believe that if affirmative action programs were lifted, and anti-discrimination legislation was lifted. There would slowly be discrimination again, because discrimination is the normal state of humanity.
When I go into McDonalds, on one side of town I see nothing but hispanics, on another part of town I see nothing but blacks. The McDonalds I worked at when I was 16 year olds in a suburban area, was all white. Now it is almost entirely hispanic.
When you put hiring in the hands of people, people will choose to hire people most like themselves. In a work environment, you need to have people who can work well with each other.
Most construction crews that I have seen are either all Mexican or all white(I've never seen a black construction crew). Basically, the only jobs in this country that care anything about affirmative action, are government agencies, and large corporations that need to have the right "image". The largest affirmative action centric group in America is Hollywood.
They were never necessary to begin with. Although I would admit that they have created a much larger black middle-class. Affirmative action has created a huge amount of racial tension, and a constant barrage of discrimination cases.
With that said, I believe that if affirmative action programs were lifted, and anti-discrimination legislation was lifted. There would slowly be discrimination again, because discrimination is the normal state of humanity.
When I go into McDonalds, on one side of town I see nothing but hispanics, on another part of town I see nothing but blacks. The McDonalds I worked at when I was 16 year olds in a suburban area, was all white. Now it is almost entirely hispanic.
When you put hiring in the hands of people, people will choose to hire people most like themselves. In a work environment, you need to have people who can work well with each other.
Most construction crews that I have seen are either all Mexican or all white(I've never seen a black construction crew). Basically, the only jobs in this country that care anything about affirmative action, are government agencies, and large corporations that need to have the right "image". The largest affirmative action centric group in America is Hollywood.
Well, affirmative action wasn't really created for whites But I do know what you're talking about though. It is a contradiction.
The largest affirmative action centric group in America is Hollywood.
In what ways? I often hear about how retro and cynical Hollywood is. They make assumptions that Middle America won't accept certain types of people. Maybe you're talking about off-screen?
As a Latina, I will say they are AN AWFUL AWFUL idea. Especially at an academic level which is where alot of my bitterness about affirmative action stems.
They:
-stigmatize the qualified minorities and discredit their hard work. No Latino is taken for their word on their qualifications now. All of those hours of studying and struggling now mean nothing because no one thinks you are truly competent anyways. Trust me, it is a very painful feeling.
-allow under qualified people of all colors in (since many times the standards are lowered for all so even unqualified whites get a leg up)
- lead to unnecessary racial tension that could have been avoided and creates racial stereotypes that could have been avoided as well. There are places in the world where AA programs have lead to CIVIL WAR. See: Sri Lanka.
-hold the best qualified back. Right now, America is going to be facing some pretty heavy competition politically and economically from other parts of the world. To hold our best back is IMO almost inhumane, and very anti-American. To hold our best back is to hold all of us back.
-teach a person that they are merely one of many, no longer an individual. A person cannot be SEEN AT ALL as a "minority of one". I cannot be seen as an individual, here to only represent the interests of me and my family, but rather I am a generic "Latina" who will fill such and such quota. I absurdly represent thousands of people I have never met before, simply because we all happen to come from a Spanish-speaking country. It is extremely demoralizing and it definitely suggests that certain schools don't have my best interests at heart. I feel this is one of the worst types of collectivist thinking.
-do not allow a person to opt out. I really hate it when people act as if EVERY MINORITY wants this. Sure, no one is going to turn a "goodie" down, but do not think that there aren't those that see that this idea, however well intentioned, does not justify the means. The worst thing is that I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS "HAND OUT". I never personally petitioned for this. When I sent in my FAFSA, I can't say that remember asking them to throw in a few GPA points for me. Whatever "goodie" I have received, IF I have even received one, was one that was readily given to me without even my personal permission. To even be part of the American educational system now is to admit consent to this program it seems.
I have alot more to say and I admit this wasn't very eloquently written but I have to go to work now.
I'll agree with Redshadows that some discrimination is to be expected, and therefore it is my opinion that anti-discrimination laws must continue to be enforced. You can't spend millions of dollars educating people only for them to not be hired due to their color of their skin.
For what its worth, I have seen many racially mixed construction crews, usually they are Mexicans with whites though. Black people don't like to work in construction I guess? But that's off topic.
Ugh, Im done now.
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But I do know what you're talking about though. It is a contradiction.
