Communications and Media

Throughout the history of the United States, racial discrimination has been an important issue. The whites have dominated the American society with the people of color having limited opportunities. In the slavery era where the African Americans were enslaved in the southern states through the racial segregation era, the people of color in America have never been treated equally. However, in the second half of the 20th century, all formal racial discrimination were outlawed as a result of civil disobedient and protest by activists. Many people believe that the removal of formal discrimination did not solve the racial problems in the United States (Kareem, 2010). This has lead to the emergency of the affirmative action debate. There has been argument on whether the affirmative action guarantees the marginalized members of the society equal educational and employment opportunities. Questions have been raised on whether the minority groups are benefiting from the affirmative actions especially in college admission. Some analysis of it effects on the number of African and Asian American admitted in American universities indicates this is not true. The claim that the affirmative action is the solution to the racial disparity in American colleges is not a feasible solution and in forges its intended purpose.

The affirmative action was introduced to guarantee all American equal educational and economical opportunities. Initially, it was intended to ensure that the minority races had equal employment opportunity but it was later extended to higher education. Throughout its history, affirmative action has ensured that there are no extreme racial disparities in employment and college admission. This has led to significant reduction in racial tensions in the society compared to the situation in the civil rights era. Today, Americans have discarded the attitudes and beliefs which identified the people of color as an inferior race. This is partly due to the effects of the affirmative action which give people of color an opportunity to prove their abilities (Kravitz, 2008).   

In the modern society, many people belief that affirmative action is no longer needed in the American colleges. Today, the American education system has matured and can be considered to be free from racial discrimination. However, there is some disparity in the number of student from minority races. In some instances, the African American societies are over represented in some colleges which have resulted into denial of affirmative benefit to some African American students. This indicates that affirmative action is not a solution to the racial discrimination or under representation in some American colleges. This suggests that affirmative action has no place in the modern educational systems because it results into racial imbalance in the college population (Kareem, 2010).

It has been noted that racial disparities in the college population is not an issue of racial discrimination. Affirmative action though intended to make higher education facilities accessible to the marginalized minority societies, it does not. Considering the African Americans or the Asian American population indicates that there is a large social divide in the minority population. Minorities from some regions earn better income and are more educated compared to minority societies from other regions. Affirmative actions will not benefit the marginalized individuals in the poor society. For example, Japanese Americans are better off compared to Vietnamese Americans economically and consequently have better access to higher education. However, by the facts that both are Asian Americans, should they be subjected to the affirmative action in college admission equally (Goodman, 2001).

The social divide is also evident among other minority groups such as the African Americans. For example, native blacks and foreign born African American do not belong to the same social class. The native African American are of a low social class, earn lower incomes and have limited access educational facilities when compared to foreign born African Americans. Statistics also indicates that the foreign born African Americans are the most educated racial group in the United States. The black population in the American colleges and universities is by far dominated by foreign born African Americans with the native African American being marginalized.  The affirmative action was introduced in the higher education to ensure that the descendants of the slaves who suffered from historical injustices have access to college education. However, this is not the case. Members of the minority races who are in the lower class are at a greater disadvantage making higher education less assessable as a result of affirmative action (Kareem, 2010).

Looking at the history of affirmative action, the main aim the executive order was to ensure that the under represented minority groups in the society in the workplaces and the education sector were given priority. This was as a result of challenge of segregation policies by the civil activists in the civil rights era. To end the disparity in the workplaces, President J F Kennedy issued the executive order. As a result of affirmative action expansion to cover college admissions significantly increased the number of people of color in American universities and colleges. However, the benefits of the affirmative action are not reaching the intended group. The lower class among the people of color is under represented in the higher education institutions suggesting that affirmative action no longer serve the purpose. In Harvard for example, about two thirds of the student are either immigrants or children of immigrants from Africa or Central and Southern America. Does this suggest that African Americans and Hispanics who have lived in America for many years and faced all forms of discrimination and segregation are not benefiting from affirmative action Does this suggest that affirmative action has created racial disparities in the education systems rather than eradicating it (Kareem, 2010).

Some people have defended affirmative action as a method of ensuring that the applicants for college and university admissions are fairly evaluated while considering their social and economic background. However, this is wrong because not all members of the minority societies are socially and economically disadvantaged. It is also important to note that admitting individuals from minority races that have lower grades in colleges perpetrates racial stereotypes in the society where the favored race is considered to be of lesser abilities. This creates the inequality in the education systems which affirmative action was supposed to eliminate. Admission to colleges and universities should be based on the proven academic ability of an individual and not the race. It is also wrong to use introduction of diversity in the learning institution to defend affirmative action. It may introduce diversity but may not introduce diverse opinion. Many of the beneficiaries of the affirmative action are members of the minority races who are considered to have attained the white status. These individuals have the more or less the same opinion as the whites. Moreover, race is an external characteristic and does not in determine the opinions of the individual in the society. Although diverse opinion is necessary in any organization or institution, racial diversity is no importance (Kahlenberg, 2003).

The idea that affirmative action give the marginalized races an advantage in securing college admission is a myth. It may have benefited some of the minority race population but it has done to them more harm that good. Affirmative action in college admissions has increased the social divide among the minority race population. Rather than the marginalized individuals in the minority races benefiting from affirmative action, the privileged members of the same population have taken advantage of it. Preference in college division will in no way cure the wound of historical racial discrimination and segregation in the American society. This preference is not a practical way of empowering the marginalized members of society as a result of historical injustices.  It is important to note that even if there is disparity in the student population where certain races are under represented, this has nothing to do with competitive admission policies (Plous, 2003).

In conclusion, the minority races in the American society have been discriminated for a long time. This is the principle reason why the people of color are marginalized. The affirmative action was introduced to reduce the disparity in the workplaces as well as in colleges and universities admissions. However, affirmative action in higher education does not serve the purpose today. It perpetrates that same social problem it was intended to eradicate. Although the number of student from the minority races has increased significantly, the marginalized individuals are not benefiting from affirmative action.