Sunday, August 25, 1996
Affirmative action should not ignore levels of wealth
Here is a big shock  another column on affirmative action.
This is unofficially the one-billionth article on affirmative
action. All right, look, I’m sorry to continue to pour it on Â
I’m sure you all have heard every possible point of view on this
topic. But, here is yet another one.
Affirmative action is a good thought, but there is major flaw in
the idea. It is this major flaw that causes much of its opposition.
The problem with it is that it is based on a very unclear and
controversial issue  race. Unfortunately, there is too much
emphasis and attention being placed on the issue of race. There
needs to be a shift of concentration from the race factor to a
socioeconomic factor. Affirmative action should be principally
based on the socioeconomic level of the recipient, not his or her
race. Why should someone be admitted to a school based on their
race?
Is the assumption here that certain races do not need to perform
at high levels solely because of their race? Or even worse, is it
assumed that certain races can’t perform at high academic levels?
As a minority myself, I don’t see a relationship between academic
performance and race. Justice Clarence Thomas expressed that
programs such as preferential affirmative action "stamp minorities
with a badge of inferiority."
I don’t see race as the main issue regarding academic
achievement or potential. However, one’s socioeconomic position can
greatly hinder academic performance, regardless of race. For
example, lets take someone who is not considered a minority
applying for college. Their household family income is low and as a
result, the student is forced to work over 30 hours a week to
contribute to the family income. As expected, their academic
potential is not reached as far as grades are concerned, and he or
she has a grade point average of 3.2. Now let’s take a student who
is considered a minority. This student attends a private high
school and is part of an upper-middle class family. The
circumstances don’t require the student to work while in high
school. Moreover, this particular student is not very motivated and
has a 2.6 grade point average. This is obviously a hypothetical,
but not unrealistic, situation. Should the minority be accepted
into the same college that rejects the non-minority? Under
affirmative action, this could happen. How fair would it be to
accept someone because of their race, and then on the other side,
reject someone, also because of their race. As Colin Powell
expressed in his autobiography: "Discrimination ‘for’ one group
means, inevitably, discrimination ‘against’ another." Affirmative
action programs are directed towards improving employment and
education opportunities for minorities and women. Unfortunately,
special preferences do not appear to help the truly disadvantaged.
William Wilson, a University of Chicago sociologist, points out
that minority individuals from the most advantaged families benefit
the most.
These are the types of scenarios that produce many critics of
affirmative action. As a result of these situations, the race issue
has become glorified and other fundamental issues are overlooked.
Affirmative action is a good idea, and, in certain circumstances,
such programs are needed to improve opportunities for certain
groups. However, to determine the recipients of programs by race is
not in the best interest of anyone. Affirmative action cannot
assume that all minorities need assistance or that all
non-minorities do not. As seen in the example above, the race issue
does not need to be a prominent part of affirmative action.
Socioeconomics should provide its foundation, not race. We don’t
need another program that uses race to separate people or
students.
The California Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI), which qualified
for the November ballot, may be a step toward eliminating the race
factor. The CCRI states: "the state shall not discriminate against,
or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the
basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the
operation of public employment, public education, or public
contracting." The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was a triumph for
minorities and women, made it unlawful to discriminate on the
grounds of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin, and the
CCRI uses this as its foundation. Preferences for certain
minorities do not act to counter discrimination and should not be
viewed as exempt from promoting discrimination. The CCRI will help
eliminate some of the inconsistencies with the application of civil
rights laws by rejecting all discrimination, whether it is for or
against a group. This would give minorities and women the
opportunity to prove that in a society without discrimination they
can compete and succeed without preferential treatment. Let’s not
use race to judge potential and ability; rather, judge people based
on their abilities and accomplishments.
Ben Mohandesi is a third-year history student.