I think you and some other posters have it all wrong on this. Back when Prop 209 passed, the Asian population was already disproportionately high in universities like UCLA. There was already a lot of energy behind racial quotas BEFORE Prop 209, especially because of Asians, not whites. IMO, too many people here have the mistaken belief that white people are racist and don’t want anyone else to succeed. As a white person, I find this to be incredibly ignorant and offensive. Most of us would much rather have a merit-based system over a racial quota system.
For those who would prefer a racial quota, it’s because they feel certain minorities (usually black and Hispanic) are being discriminated against, and they want them to have more opportunities for advancement. It is NOT out of self-interest that these white people want a quota system; they truly believe that certain minorities deserve an extra hand up because they are often starting from a less advantageous position. This is why the teachers’ unions advocate for racial quotas in many cases — they see firsthand how some minorities really have a lot more going against them from the beginning.[/quote]
I have no doubt people that support racial quota and affirmative action have good intentions. But just look at the graph, don’t you see the progressive and steady improvement the Hispanic population have made WITHOUT affirmative action since prop 209?
And please explain why minorities who received preferential admissions all end up with much lower graduation rate? Because they are set up for failure by being mismatched to a more competitive environment then they can handle.
There’s no question affirmative action hurts the students it intends to help, that’s the bottom line here.
