Essay Affirmative Action is Racial Discrimination

Affirmative Action as Racial Discrimination The controversy over affirmative action is growing to embody most all selective decisions in American society. From public protection to college admissions, people are becoming resentful of such affirmative action programs. The applicability of these programs in todays American society has been challenged by people ranging from the everyday Joe, who is finding reverse discrimination in the workplace, to college applicants, who are finding that it takes more than good grades to get admitted, to the Supreme Court, who is finding that some college admissions policies are unconstitutional and promote diversity through unfair means. In California, for example, Gov. Pete Wilson has already†¦show more content†¦Hubert Humphrey, a major sponsor of the Act, swore that he would eat the bill if it were ever used for discrimination of any sort. The past cannot be changed and we should stop compensating people who were never hurt at the expense of people who have done them no harm. In 1969, the Department of Labor exposed widespread racial discrimination of the Construction Department so President Richard M. Nixon decided to incorporate a system of goals and timetables to evaluate federal construction companies according to affirmative action. This idea of goals and timetables provided guidelines for companies to follow and comply with affirmative action regulations (Brown). Many companies now use these quotas in order to receive tax breaks from the government. Now the government not only promotes discrimination but also pays the employers to do so. During the presidency of Gerald R. Ford, affirmative action was expanded to people with disabilities and Vietnam veterans but there were no goals or timetables for these two groups. This type of affirmative action required recruitment efforts, accessibility, accommodation and reviews of physical and mental job qualifications (Brown). This legislation did wonders for the disabled in terms of jobs and promoted equality so that even the handicapped and elderly could receive employment. President Jimmy CarterShow MoreRelatedAffirmative Action : Discrimination And Discrimination Essay1143 Words   |  5 PagesWHAT IS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Affirmative action can be described as positive discrimination. It is an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education. Affirmative action means taking positive steps to end discrimination, to prevent its recurrence, and to creative new opportunities that were previously denied minorities and women. Affirmative action itself has been defined as any measure, beyond simple termination of a discriminatoryRead MoreRacial Discrimination : The Worst Form Of Inequality1388 Words   |  6 Pagesis to try to make unequal things equal.† Racial discrimination occurs everyday to many different people. In America,the individuals who are usually discriminated against are the minorities like African Americans and Hispanics. Affirmative action is a policy that was created and has been claimed to be positive discrimination. The policy was created to give equal opportunity to groups of people who are usually discriminated against. Although Affirmative action has been named to be positive and supportRead MoreAffirmative Action At The United States1634 Words   |  7 Pageswrong with you? Why, nothing. You have everything we are looking for, it’s just†¦you’re black†¦Ã¢â‚¬  First established in 1961, Affirmative action (in the United States) was/is a practice in which the purpose is to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women (Merriam Webster). Fast forward to today’s society and what is affirmative action now? Considering the prevalence of di versity in the workplace and in educational facilities, it should be of utmost importanceRead MoreAffirmative Action : African American And Hispanic870 Words   |  4 Pagesunderrepresented by his ethnicity, he has led a successful life without affirmative action. Since Santiago was both African American and Hispanic he dealt with identity issues and stereotypes throughout his adolescent life. Even though affirmative action is supposed to make attempts to improve opportunities for groups that were historically excluded it is still a form of discrimination itself. The preference of one race over another is discrimination despite the fact if the group is gaining benefits. ContemporaryRead Moreaffirmative action1695 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Abstract What is affirmative action? Affirmative action is an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, esp. in relation to employment or education; positive discrimination. In the 1940s: President Roosevelt signed an order making discrimination illegal in defense contracting. 1954: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that separate but equal facilities on the basis of race were unconstitutionally discriminatory. The Act of 1964: CongressRead MoreAffirmative Action : A New Form Of Discrimination1196 Words   |  5 Pagesgoal only to be rejected for the reason that the university had to meet a racial quota. Each year in the United State frequently students are turned down from the colleges, subsequently; the university is obligatory to select a set amount of minorities before them thanks to something known as affirmative action. Affirmative action was established in 1961, in hopes the government to make up for the previous discriminations t oward minorities. Thus, an effort to provide full and equal opportunitiesRead MoreEssay on Affirmative Action and Racial Equality 1467 Words   |  6 Pages Affirmative Action and Racial Equality (1) Issue Identification Many individuals do not know the meaning of the term â€Å"affirmative action.† In order to clearly understand the issue, one must first know the necessary terms associated with it. Affirmative action is a term given to an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination (i.e. African Americans, Asians, etc.). For example, certain scholarships for African Americans can be regarded as affirmative action opportunitiesRead MoreEssay Affirmative Action703 Words   |  3 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Should a man be hired for his skills or for the color of his skin? Is racial diversity in the business world more important then the most qualified workers? Affirmative action has become an important topic in today’s society to better diversify the different races in America. Affirmative action is a set of public policies that were designed for the elimination of discrimination toward race, color, sex, etc. These policies are under attack today because of the unfairness towardRead MoreThe Benefits Of Affirmative Action855 Words   |  4 PagesThe benefits of affirmative action for society The ethical issues around the policy of affirmative action often raises disputes in the society. The opponents of the affirmative action or positive discrimination consider that it is the same discrimination, but of the minority against the majority. Some opponents consider that the affirmative action not only does not help the groups of minority, but also diminishes their achievements by providing them extra opportunities. Undoubtedly, there is a reasonRead MoreThe Equal Employment Opportunity Act1119 Words   |  5 PagesThe Equal Employment Opportunity Act or, EEO Act of 1972, established a goal to make racial, ethnic, and gender minorities on the same level of white males in employment (â€Å"Equal Employment†). This was because of the dominance that white males held in the workplace and the struggle for minorities to get and keep a job, sometimes due to discrimination. Through this act, Affirmative Action was established to ensure that a certain amount of minorities wer e able to get a quality education and to get jobs