ASA 2 A02
Week 3
The article Asian Americans and Affirmative Action: From Yellow Peril to Model Minority and Back Again by Nancy Chung Allred discusses the controversial issue of affirmative action. Reading this particular article was especially intriguing to me because I attended Lowell High School. I remember hearing about this case while I was a student at Lowell, and thinking it was unfair for Asian-Americans to be disadvantaged due to their race.
Prior to my knowledge about the benefits of affirmative action, I thought that the practice was unfair because I believed that race should not be a factor for admission. However, after learning more about affirmative action, I learned that the practice is necessary for establishing diversity and for many other reasons, such as historical oppression and white privilege. People also tend to believe that affirmative action are of no benefit to Asian Americans since they are the "model minority"; however, many Asian groups, such as Southeast Asian ethnic groups, have high percentages that are disadvantaged and live in poverty. Since they are considered Asian, they sometimes do not receive the benefits of affirmative action which is unfair and unfortunate.
However, affirmative action still remains to be a controversial issue, especially when regarding Asian Americans. Since affirmative action is mainly focused on blacks and whites, Asian Americans are sometimes forgotten. The article also discusses the reality of balkanization, which is an unfortunate result of affirmative action. It is upsetting to see minorities turning against each other, because it is reactionary when ethnic groups do not stick together. It's also upsetting to see other ethnic minorities perceiving Asian Americans as the "model minority," therefore, disregarding the struggles and obstacles Asian Americans have to face. Living in San Francisco for most of my life, I have been surrounded by many Asian American families that face many obstacles, such as being economically disadvantaged or having language barriers.
Allred, N. C., Asian Americans and Affirmative Action: From Yellow Peril to Model Minority and Back Again, 14 Asian Am. L.J. 57 (2007)
Question: Is the purpose of affirmative action to repay historically oppressed groups and to balance out white privilege or to create a equally diverse community?
Prior to my knowledge about the benefits of affirmative action, I thought that the practice was unfair because I believed that race should not be a factor for admission. However, after learning more about affirmative action, I learned that the practice is necessary for establishing diversity and for many other reasons, such as historical oppression and white privilege. People also tend to believe that affirmative action are of no benefit to Asian Americans since they are the "model minority"; however, many Asian groups, such as Southeast Asian ethnic groups, have high percentages that are disadvantaged and live in poverty. Since they are considered Asian, they sometimes do not receive the benefits of affirmative action which is unfair and unfortunate.
However, affirmative action still remains to be a controversial issue, especially when regarding Asian Americans. Since affirmative action is mainly focused on blacks and whites, Asian Americans are sometimes forgotten. The article also discusses the reality of balkanization, which is an unfortunate result of affirmative action. It is upsetting to see minorities turning against each other, because it is reactionary when ethnic groups do not stick together. It's also upsetting to see other ethnic minorities perceiving Asian Americans as the "model minority," therefore, disregarding the struggles and obstacles Asian Americans have to face. Living in San Francisco for most of my life, I have been surrounded by many Asian American families that face many obstacles, such as being economically disadvantaged or having language barriers.
Citations:
Wang, F. K. (2014, October 6). New Study Shows Asian American Support for Affirmative Action [Digital image]. Retrieved April 16, 2017, from https://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2014_40/690226/affaction-96-14_4331227a0681c47f3c8888cbcb0a41d3.nbcnews-ux-600-480.png
Allred, N. C., Asian Americans and Affirmative Action: From Yellow Peril to Model Minority and Back Again, 14 Asian Am. L.J. 57 (2007)
Question: Is the purpose of affirmative action to repay historically oppressed groups and to balance out white privilege or to create a equally diverse community?
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