COLUMN: Giving minorities a chance

From Delia Vallejo's, "Journey to Aztian's, Fall '97 From Delia Vallejo's, "Journey to Aztian's, Fall '97 My friend is dying. Some people call my friend Affirmative Action, while others, who don't like him very much, call him "preferential treatment," or worse, "reverse discrimination." My friend is dying of a cancer called Proposition 209. Affirmative Action simply provides an opportunity. An opportunity to dream, to have, or to live that would otherwise not be within reach for many people. Proposition 209, deceptively named the "California Civil Rights Initiative," was approved on November 5, 1996. It bans programs based on race or sex in public education, employment and contracting. If this legislation is enacted, I foresee the end of other Affirmative Action programs across the country. Programs such as INROADS which provides minority college students with summer internships, and LEAD which provides minority high school students with a summer on a college campus would be eliminated. Proposition 209 is currently tied up in courts since many civil rights groups have filed suits against it. And hopefully, it will not be enacted. The progress the United States has made in ending racial and gender discrimination may come to an abrupt halt if Affirmative Action programs disappear. Opponents of Affirmative Action pierced the gates of the 10 most elite institutions through alumni preferences than the combined number of all African Americans and Latinos entering through Affirmative Action. Preferential treatment is embedded in all of society's institutions. Affirmative Action only intends to offer opportunities to those qualified people who would not have been "preferentially treated" otherwise. How does a child, living in an impoverished neighborhood, find his or her way out? This child is likely to not know anyone who went to college, and instead of worrying about homework, he or she worries about avoiding violence on the streets. There is one, and only one, way out for this child -- an education. Affirmative Action programs target the millions of children who lack opportunities and should not be eliminated. So, lack of opportunity is a question of economics -- not of race or gender, right? Wrong. Although minorities, specifically Latinos and African Americans, do suffer disproportionately from the social ills of living below the poverty line in the United States, Affirmative Action programs based solely on socio-economic conditions are not enough because discrimination is ever-present in today's society. Just ask senior management at Texaco. We need Affirmative Action to ensure people of all races and genders are not denied a fair chance. In the State of the Union address two days ago, President Bill Clinton said, "My fellow Americans, we must never believe that diversity is a weakness -- it is our greatest strength. People on every continent can look at us and see the reflection of their own greatness, as long as we give all of our citizens, whatever their background, an opportunity to achieve their greatness. We are not there yet?" I believe that as well. Let's always remember Affirmative Action is a way of affirming the value of diversity. Proposition 209 is a sad regression of a great country. Without taking proactive steps to recruit and retain women and people of color, our society will remain stratified along gender and racial lines. Affirmative Action programs work to counteract both past and present discrimination against women and people of color. Thus, Proposition 209 will only be needed when equality of opportunity exists in our society. Unfortunately, that is not the case today. Don't let Affirmative Action die. If we, as a nation, value equality and fairness, which these kinds of programs seek to ensure, then we all benefit. As the campaign for Proposition 209 spreads across the country, read the legislation, but read between the lines. And imagine a country where opportunity is not present for everyone. Is that a better place to live? Not really. Think about the possible repercussions of eliminating outreach, recruitment and training programs for disadvantaged minorities. And imagine the elimination of campus women's centers, ethnic and gender studies, or ethnic and gender focused recruitment and retention programs at universities. This is Affirmative Action, our friend who makes life easier for many people. In many cases, he provides the possibility of a better life.