Does Affirmative Action Actually Benefit the Unprivileged? 1.14.17

          Affirmative action is a policy that was originally meant to promote equality and prevent discrimination. According to the article "Affirmative Action: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," affirmative action is not always beneficial. When the author, Vijay Jojo Chokal-Ingam, says that affirmative action discriminates against him for being an Asian American, I couldn't help, but agree. Throughout my life, I've been told to work harder and to do better than the average excelling student since I am Asian. In society, many believe that it is normal for Asians to excel, so affirmative action discriminates against them believing that they are not a disadvantaged race. As mentioned in the article, the stereotype of blacks and Hispanics being poor and needing help still remains. This causes a disadvantage to those of other races who actually unprivileged and need help.

          In the article, the author is strongly against affirmative action. He uses anecdotes from his personal life to support his position. The author mentions that he got waitlisted to a prestigious school even though he had a low GPA. He believes that this was most likely because of affirmative action, which shows that it is unfair to people of other races. The author furthers his argument by using rhetorical questions. For example, he uses the question "Did they think that every black kid comes from the ‘hood?" This question was used to show how offensive affirmative action was to the African American race. It also shows how this policy discriminates people based off of stereotypes. Overall, colleges and universities should not put race in the factor when evaluating people.