Just wanted to post these questions on racial and ethic descriptions that are used in Affirmative Action. I just wanted to know people's opinions on the following questions, because I have actually encountered these situations in college:
Q1) If a white person from South Africa (Boor, Dutch, or whatever ethnicity white people in South Africa are) moves to America (or we can extend it a little further and say she was born in America) and wants to go to medical school, classifying herself as African American, is this correct or right? How about the same thing for an Egyptian, who are generally classified as Arab (I know there are black people in Egypt as well as really light skinned people, just want to gauge people's opinions on the ethnic and racial terms used in AA programs).
Q2) What about a Chinese girl that was born and raised in Mexico till she was a teenager (Her parents moved from China to Mexico, and then moved to USA as a teenager). This girl is Mexican in every way (speaking perfect Spanish, adopts Mexican culture, and etc) except appearance, where she looks like a typical Asian girl. Furthermore, I would say that her life has been harder than most, with her parents having worked in sweatshops, as well as herself having worked since she was 10.
I guess the point that I am trying to make is it seems like, especially in our age, that racial/ethnic boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred, and that these terms varied in the eye of the beholder. In terms of trying to find a viable solution, I think that the goals and reasons for applying AA towards medical school acceptances should be defined.
1. Is the goal of AA in medical school to just have a larger number of underrepresented minorities, as defined by the Govt, become doctors?
2. Or is the goal of AA to give underrepresented minorities a chance to succeed since they often lived in areas where they have had less access to many of the resources needed to succeed(such as proper education and health care)
3. Or, is the problem that there is a shortage of doctors to treat/address the needs of underrepresented minorities, so medical schools should let more of them become doctors because they would be more likely to serve these areas?
In our current system, there are a lot of loopholes. I know lots of people that are white in everything, but last name, and still classify themselves as Hispanic for govt, college, and medical school applications, to get the benefits. The only thing Hispanic about them is that one of their great grandfathers immigrated from Mexico, yet they are still able to exploit benefits not intended for them. Furthermore, there several underrepresented minorities that have had great lifestyles and the same access to resources that only rich people get, and use AA as another tool for advance. Is that right? While, I will agree that the majority of underrepresented minorities do deserve the boost that AA gives, I also believe that there are many other people as well that also would qualify as much if not more, for the same boost, such as the poor Asian or White kid, that had to struggle for everything and was never given any benefit from govt or any other organization because his race is "overrepresented". Or, what about the Middle Eastern, who probably faces just as much discrimination as other minorities (My roommate is black, and I will acknowledge that they face the most discrimination). I, myself, am a middle eastern, and I have faced constant discrimination, especially since I am dark skin and have the "typical terrorist look".
Personally, I think that a boost program should be enacted based on economic status because it still would include most underrepresented minorities, but would also include others that deserve that boost as much.
Just my thoughts
-batman1983
