A Writer’s Point of View to Affirmative Action Currently, there are over 324 million citizens documented in the United States. Nearly a whopping 30% of those people is comprised of what you may call minorities— black, Asian, Native Americans, etc. With such diverse cultural and ethnical backgrounds, frictions and disagreements are bound to happen. In this article I would like to talk about how this multicultural society affects one of the most basic human needs: education. We cannot deny that discrimination is still a big part of today’s society, despite many, many efforts that has been exhausted to discourage and eradicate such damaging behavior, by both individuals and the government. There are many statistical evidences that can be produced to demonstrate discrimination—the most worrisome being the disparity in high school graduation rates. Only 60% of most minorities graduate from high school compared to White students’ 83%, with an even lower rate of 50% for Black students. The government’s attempt to minimize this gap is politically known as affirmative action, and is currently divided into two views. I tend to side with the liberal’s view, where they encourage the government to make policies to favor those who suffer from discrimination. While the conservative’s view isn’t completely wrong—they believe individuals should be admitted to school and be employed based on their ability—I would like to point out that not everyone has the same opportunity in order to be able to develop those abilities, and that is the root of the problem that we must remedy. I also would like to point out that at the end of the day, whatever a person’s racial or ethnical background may be we all share this one land, this one country to live together peacefully. Let’s not forget that at the very essence, we are all precious human beings that should have equal rights and opportunity in life. Results are important. But when you are looking to make improvements, don’t start by looking at the results and wonder how you can better it. You first need to know what went down during the process that eventually led to that result. You need to get to the bottom of things. So a lot of the minorities don’t graduate from high school. Why? Find the answer to this question, the very basic answer, and then you can start looking for the solution. In relation to affirmative action, I believe everything begins with the American mindset. Decades have passed, but Americans still do not consider the minorities to be an inherent part of the nation. Major news and media outlets continue to promote minorities as immigrants [1], mentioning them by their race instead of what they truly are: Americans. It may sound as simple as semantics, but it inadvertently shapes and builds human mindset and ultimately affects the way we behave [2]. Various subtle linguistic cues are implanted in our brain daily by reading newspaper, watching TV, or even talking with the people around us. The way something is being said, the terms used, and the tone used to articulate the subject will impact our perception to the matter. This is the nurture aspect of human development, how environment becomes a determining factor to a person’s personality and subsequent life. When someone continuously tells you one thing, whether it is done consciously or unconsciously, you will finally believe that about yourself. Even more so when it is something negative, because the human brain is prone to latch onto negativity [3]. For a more relatable example, take the stereotypical middle child in the family. Why is it that the middle child is characterized to be difficult and distant? Psychologists claim this trait is the result of feeling ignored by parents who pay more attention to the older and younger siblings, and therefore grow resentment within the child’s psyche [4]. Let us think about this for a moment. Of course no parents will deliberately ignore their child, whatever the birth order may be. But this situation happens anyway. That is why parents must be constantly mindful on how they treat their children. The same principle happens to minorities. In this case, the minorities are the middle child of the United States. The government as the parents and White citizens with other components of society as the sibling must beware on how their speech and attitude affect the middle child. The middle child themselves must do some work, as well, such as not letting negativity consume them and ultimately ruin their lives. There are two possible outcomes of being the middle child, either you become very independent or forever known as “the difficult one.” It needs effort to become the independent one, but it must be noted that this effort should not only come from the individual, but also their environment. How can the parents (the government) help the middle child to grow? The answer is by offering them the same opportunity they offer to their other children. It is reported that an overwhelming number of minority students attend underfunded schools [5]. Do you, as a parent, think this is fair? Can you expect your middle child who goes to severely under-resourced public school be as successful and as productive as your other children who receive top-notch private education? Let’s level the playing field and see the result, shall we? And what can every other citizens of USA do to help their sibling in need? Not much, really. They only need to treat them better, as equals. According to a 2016 study conducted by a research center [6] in America, 52% of Hispanics say they have experienced discrimination or being treated unfairly due to their race or ethnicity. For a nation that claimed to love progress, 52% is not progress—it’s stagnancy. And this is just the Hispanics. Black people reported to be far more likely to be discriminated against. Perhaps the American public needs a nation-wide counseling and a mindset readjustment. However great the government and fellow Americans’ effort at helping minorities, no change can happen if the individual himself doesn’t want to change. A study shows that in 2009, 4.8% of Black students and 5.8% of Hispanic students dropped out of school [7]. There are many reasons for this number, including a loweconomy background but currently there are many other options for such cases. Students can enroll in scholarship programs or be eligible for federal aids. The point is, when there is a will, there is a way. In conclusion, I believe all elements of society need to take part in order to inspire change. This is not and will not be an easy task. Don’t expect a program to reach success within the first 5 or 10 years. Society is a large entity and therefore very difficult and very slow in responding to change. As a final note, I agree that using race as a reason to favor one individual shouldn’t be done. Rather, when selecting a prospect for school admittance or employment, one should look at them as what they are: a prospect, a promise. No one is great from the beginning. It takes time to polish someone’s ability. Try to see how an individual can grow to his or her maximum potential if given the chance. And I believe that is exactly what everyone on this Earth needs—a chance to prove themselves.
