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Affirmative Action Argumentative Essay

487 Words2 Pages

Affirmative action in colleges is based on a good idea, but needs heavy reform. The system used right now in many colleges is far too reliant on race, where socioeconomic background is much more important. In its current state the system is just too race-exclusive and easily taken advantage of by an outlier. Some prestigious schools accept students who are essentially set up for failure. It seems that the term “affirmative action” is most often used synonymously with “race”. The ties that we as a society make between race and class are ancient: and not without warrant. According to the federal safety net; “While the poverty rate for the population as a whole is 13.5% the rate varies greatly by race. Blacks have the highest poverty rate at …show more content…

Relying so much on race allows someone who does not need help being admitted reap the benefits of affirmative action. This seems reminiscent of another ridiculous benefit; Legacy scholarships, where the student receives an extra boost for being born into the right family. (Although legacy scholarships do have a more damaging effect, since a higher percentage of recipients are wealthy, especially at prestigious universities.) One reporter, an Asian American who didn’t qualify for the medical school of his choice, was accepted into said school by pretending to be black. Here are his thoughts. “A popular belief is that affirmative action always benefits the disadvantaged. In my application to medical schools, I fully disclosed my affluent background and that I did not receive a penny of financial aid as an undergrad. Yet, [as a black man] schools offered me special treatment. Did they think that every black kid comes from ‘the hood’? This form of racism assumes all blacks and Hispanics were broke and needed help. The irony is that there are legions of legitimately disadvantaged Asian Americans and whites left behind by affirmative action…. Affirmative action works, sort of. But it’s flawed, discriminating against some for the benefit of others. Affirmative action needs to be changed, so it works for all who truly need it, regardless of race or color. How much more American can that be?” (Vivay Jojo Chokol Ingam, Affirmative

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