I should establish that I am a minority student. As an individual of Indian origin, I am one of many minorities who comprise the beneficiaries of racial affirmative action. Nevertheless, I am quite opposed to it and I will begin by examining why proponents of affirmative action advocate this flawed policy.
It used to be that affirmative action was a way of addressing
racial discrimination. By countering the disproportionately small number of society's underprivileged and ethnic minorities represented in institutions nations-wide with preferen-
tial admission, an organization such as a college or corporation could simultaneously increase awareness and generate acceptance. Diversity is desirable; a multicultural organization can claim to be progressive and forward thinking while boasting a wide range of experiences. Furthermore, students from high-income families grow up in circumstances that are conducive to education and ambition. Those from low-income settings, where many minority communities exist, generally do not. Preferential admission would therefore "level the playing field," so to speak.
I do believe that socioeconomic affirmative action should be practiced. I would gladly vacate my seat at Boston College to a clearly ambitious and determined student from a low-income household. However, judging such circumstances from a college application is extremely arbitrary; when there are doubts, the institution should conduct interviews to determine the potential student's character. Why not? If we are attempting to "light the world," shouldn't we have the brightest lights?
While I understand and appreciate socioeconomic issues, I have no patience for racial idealists. There is no doubt that racial discrimination still exists in the United States. Specifically, African-American and Hispanic communities are the target of gross injustices. However, there are a number of other racial communities that have thrived in the United States, such as Jews, Chinese, Indians, and Irish. These people comprise a large sector of the Ivy League demographic; indeed, at Princeton University, Asian-Americans make up 13 percent of undergraduates, compared with 4.5 percent of the general population.
My offense to affirmative action specifically stems from my belief that while some students clearly benefit, Asian-Americans bear the burden. A study by Thomas Epenshade and Chang Chung, which analyzed the admission rates and qualifications of 45,500 students in three elite institutions, drew some interesting conclusions. For instance, eliminating admission preferences for minorities and legacy students would cut the number of black students at elite colleges by two-thirds and the number of Hispanic students by one-half. Meanwhile, the number of Asian-American students would increase by 40 percent. This indicates the obvious: academic credit may not necessarily be the paramount qualification when considering acceptances and that arbitrary decisions may be made. It also suggests that students admitted through affirmative action may not be qualified for their schools and that reverse-affirmative action may be in practice, in which more qualified Asian students are passed over for less qualified students of other races.
What about the white people? The fact that students of certain races do not have to prove their worth as much as Caucasians do is unwarranted. If a white student must achieve a 4.0 to get into a certain school, it's not fair if I or someone else only needs to reach a 3.4.
I find it insulting that a prestigious institution like Boston College would assume that I or anyone else would need some sort of "extra help" to get into college because of an ethnicity, a factor which in reality has little pertinence to my "diversity." I like to think that I offer more in the "unique" department than my Indian-ness. Then there's relatively un-diverse Boston College (where we can fit all the brown people in one room in Ignacio) who can't afford to turn away too many of any race. The idea that I was accepted to the schools that I applied to based on my race severely undermines my efforts and achievements. Wasn't it Martin Luther King, Jr. who stated "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character?" Am I not being judged by the color of my skin through the process of affirmative action? Why not judge students purely based on their qualifications? Aren't we underachieving by accepting students who cannot deliver? Isn't it possible that our practice of admitting students based on factors other than their qualifications undermines our motto, "ever to excel?"
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