Affirmative Action Essay -- essays research papers

Pros on Affirmative Action Affirmative action refers to a variety of programs and policies that are race, gender, national origin, and ethnicity conscious. Such programs are targeting women and minorities that had suffered discrimination in the past. History tells us that women and minorities suffered severe discriminations until the middle of 20th century. Women and minorities were treated as inferiors and subordinate status. According to Gilroy, "women were not allowed to enter entire areas of employment such as mining, fire fighting, law, and medicine." They were not even allowed to vote until the early 1920s. The racial segregation in one form or another forced American Indians, African Americans and Latinos into low-wage, dead-end jobs. No one can deny this historical truth, not even opponents of affirmative action reluctantly admit this (Gilroy 79). Critics of affirmative action have argued that because of affirmative action, white males are discriminated against as a group. They call this a "reverse discrimination." This argument sounds somewhat believable but it is simply wrong if we look at the facts. Women and minorities today are still significantly underrated in spite of the enforcement of affirmative action programs. 'According to a 1995 government report, white males hold 95 percent of senior management positions although they make up only 29 percent of the workforce. White males are still, by a great margin, over represented in most high st...