an high-school dropouts walking its streets? WouldnÆt the cityÆs oriental population prefer a Chinese lawyer who understood their language and their culture to a Caucasian one who had no understanding of their culture? WouldnÆt it be nice if every race and gender could be represented in the professional community to provide knowledgeable, understanding service to each segment of that community? (Hershenov 216).
Affirmative Action elevates minorities to the level of the majority and incorporates them into the mainstream of society. Not only do they have an equal chance to succeed, they become role models for others of their race and gender, encouraging a continued climb to new levels of achievement and prosperity. Furthermore, the community benefits by enjoying increased diversity, which not only makes for a more interesting environment but also gives the inhabitants the advantage of knowing how to adapt in companies and other organizations that promote diversity. In addition, the exposure to different cultures can be quite rewarding. ôPeople who have lived beside, listened to and studied with other races will be better prepared for a diverse workplace when they graduateö (Hershenov 216).
Although the Affirmative Action program has been criticized on many levels, some of those criticisms are misguided and without merit. For example, the charge of reverse discrimination against whites ignores the fact that preferential treatment of minorities is not given with hostility against whites as the discrimination against blacks was conducted in the past. Whites are not made to feel inferior or hopeless; they are merely informed that factors above and beyond grades and test scores will be considered in the admissions or hiring decision. This cannot by any stretch of the imagination be considered equivalent to the kind of discrimination that blacks suffered prior to Affirmative Action (Hershenov 216).
An undeniable benefit o...