Demba Ly
ENGL-112
Position Paper essay
Affirmative Action
Throughout American history, minorities have not always been welcomed into
mainstream society. Whether it was Hispanics, Asians, or even African-Americans each group
has faced difficulties while seeking to become a part of society. The ongoing series of
discrimination and segregation was always obvious. From the slavery era to the Jim Crow
period, African-Americans and other minorities were viewed as second-class citizens.
Movements such as the Civil Rights movement, came to existence to eradicate the
institutionalized racism. Although it may not be the best working solution to provide equality for
all United States citizens’ in terms of education and employment, the affirmative action was a
good initiative to provide opportunities to the minorities, that would help them prosper and
achieve more in their life.
To improve the chances of minorities receiving equality with the white majority,
Affirmative action was put into place. Affirmative action is the initiative token by the
government to make sure minorities will receive equal opportunities in the education sector and
in the workforce by placing the involvement of quotas, and to eliminate systematic procedures
that seek to destroy assimilation. The policy is applied when certain companies in the workforce
require the differentiation of its employees for non-other than statistics. Affirmative action is
viewed as the key that benefits minorities in the society.
During the time before affirmative action, not all people bearing white skin was
considered the status of the majority. Certain immigrants such as Irish and Italians were still
discriminated against and denied the same opportunities as white Americans. Many Asians had
moved to the United States in the late 19th century. The main countries of origin were China,
Japan, and Vietnam. From the 1880s to the 1920s the United States had conducted many forms
of legislation intended to block more Asians from coming. Even during World War II many of
the Japanese immigrants were placed into internment camps. There were even policies put into
place to deny Asians from receiving citizenship status. This was all to limit their prosperity.
Decades after the Asian population was fed up, many felt it was up to them to determine
their own destiny, so the Asian American movement was formed to protest the Asian
population’s economic situation, Vietnam war, and living conditions. The movement went from
the late 1950s all the way to the early 1980s, that’s when the Asian population started feeling
more comfortable with the society.
