Affirmative Action: Work In Progress?
analytical Essay
1699 words
When I applied to college, affirmative action was the reason I believed I could enter United States’ top colleges, especially those in New York City which I have dreamed of attending since I was a kid. Do not get me wrong; I had great grades and my test scores were not awful, but I knew the competition was tough. However, I also knew I would be competing against other minority students for the university’s diversity quotas, at least that is what I thought. The “quotas” I thought were my salvation were in reality affirmative action, a term of which I clearly did not have a lot of knowledge on. Affirmative action was created on March 6, 1961 when John F. Kennedy signed the Executive Order 10925, a regulation that aims to promote equal opportunity among citizens. The Executive Order 10925 was government’s solution to the discrimination and racism of the era.
However, the use of affirmative action in college admissions has led to several debates and oppositions. Popular sources like CNN consider affirmative action is no longer necessary because it already did its work in integrating minority students into society and it is time to end it. A journalist from Time Magazine recognizes affirmative action’s importance but claim there has to be changes done in order for it to be fair for every group of citizens and that it should not be a legal imposition to require diversity in college admissions. Some students from the University of Arizona were interviewed and said that instead of race-based, affirmative action, need-based affirmative action should be enacted and others argue that college admissions need to be color-blind because race should not determine one’s privileges. On the other hand, scholars like Scott Finnie claim that af...
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...es multiple opinions and reactions.
Works Cited
CNN. “Time to Kill Affirmative Action.” Irish Austrian Cath. You Tube. 17 Jul. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2012.
Diaz, Gabriela. “Research for Controversy Analysis.” Survey. Survey Monkey. 25 Feb. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. < http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/37PZQBQ>
Finnie, Scott. “The Debate Over Class-Based Versus Raced-Based Affirmative Action in Higher Education.” Journal of Intercultural Disciplines 8 (Winter 2010): 181-92. ProQuest News and Magazines. Web. 30 Mar. 2012
Kennedy, John F. "Executive Order 10925," The American Presidency Project. 6 Mar. 1961. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
Klein, Joe. “Can We Improve on Affirmative Action?” Time Magazine U.S. 10 Dec. 2006. Web. 2 Mar. 2012.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that affirmative action was the reason they believed they could enter united states' top colleges, especially those in new york city, which they had dreamed of attending since they were a kid.
- Argues that affirmative action in college admissions has led to several debates and oppositions. popular sources like cnn consider it no longer necessary because it already integrated minority students into society.
- Analyzes how time magazine's article, "can we improve on affirmative action?" claims that affirmative action has its flaws and offers three solutions for it.
- Explains that 72 students were interviewed at the university of arizona, where voters eliminated affirmative action in 2010 with a constitutional ban known as proposition 107.
- Analyzes how scott finnie, a professor of african american culture in eastern washington university, states that class-based college admissions are "inherently flawed" and that affirmative action benefits minorities as well as whites.
- Analyzes how professors, journalists, scholars and students used a variety of strategies to support their claims regarding affirmative action.
- Analyzes how cnn's video, "time to kill affirmative action," claims that affirmative action is no longer relevant and should be eliminated.
- Analyzes the debate over class-based versus raced based affirmative action in higher education.
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- Explains that campbell's plight demonstrates that mismatch can lead to impacts on a personal level as well as social stigma and stress.
- Opines that a reform in k-12 education is needed to reduce the achievement gap between races or genders. the knowledge is power program school in the south bronx has 86% of its students scoring at grade-level in math.
- Explains that kipp's philosophy is centered on two simple principles: "work hard" and "be nice". it also teaches lifelong skills, such as pushing the capabilities of what one thinks it is possible to achieve.
- Argues that colleges need to improve their information distribution to promote equality for people of different socioeconomic classes.
- Opines that affirmative action has stirred up debates since it was introduced, and rightly so. reforming it would allow people to have the opportunity they desire in a fair, non-discriminatory and effective way.
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- Explains that affirmative action is a policy to prevent discrimination on the basis of "color, religion, sex, or national origin." it lowers the standards for some races, while raising the standard for other races.
- Explains that many colleges are abolishing their affirmative action policy, citing the ncsl and the supreme court.
- Argues that an admission policy favoring first-generation college students helps to increase diversity while still maintaining the principles of the constitution.
- Argues that a college admissions policy based on socioeconomic status would be the best way to go. the goal of affirmative action is to increase diversity on campus.
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In this essay, the author
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- Analyzes how the affirmative action law and academic achievements helped wes moore obtain the opportunities that he has today.
- Analyzes how the affirmative action law becomes a reverse discrimination to some majority or advantage group of people.
- Explains that the affirmative action law was formed as a solution to the long history of animosity towards minorities.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains affirmative action has been a controversial topic since it was established in the 1960s to right past wrongs against minority groups, such as african americans, hispanics, and women.
- Explains that affirmative action is an active effort to improve employment or educational opportunities for members of minority groups and women, despite its well-intentioned policies.
- Analyzes the controversy surrounding affirmative action at the university of michigan. in 1978, the supreme court ruled that quotas and two-track admissions systems were unconstitutional.
- Analyzes how william symonds argues that affirmative action does not promote integration into institutions of higher education. he doesn't agree with the notion that people are discriminated against because of race.
- Explains that affirmative action has upped freshmen enrollment in colleges and universities to 12% african-american and hispanic. symonds uses two charts to illustrate his point.
- Explains symonds' claim that the only way to be true equality in college admissions is to allow for everyone to have an equal chance at a college education.
- Argues that affirmative action would put 38% of the lowest-income families into the nation's top universities rather than the meager 10% right now.
- Opines that affirmative action does not solve the problem that it is trying to fix. it facilitates the entrance to college to minorities of the higher classes.
- Cites encyclopdia britannica's "affirmative action" service.
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