Andy Hudlow
THE SANTA CLARA
February 18, 2016
Racism still exists in our college and university systems, preventing students from gaining admission to schools they have worked hard to attend over others who may not be as deserving. Photo: The Common App.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech,” is probably most famous for its quote: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
This quote embodies what most people want their world to look like. A world where people are judged solely for who they are as individuals. We have made great strides in race relations since MLK’s day, but there’s one part of American society that continues to treat individuals like numbers filling a quota.
College admissions offices across the country are the most blatantly racist institutions in modern day society.
They systematically assign value to race as applications come in, and warp the natural outcomes of the admissions process by placing undue value on the applications of minority students while paying no extra attention to white applicants.
Sure, you can argue that other parts of society are equally racist, but at least they cover it up. Admissions offices on the other hand, are very open about their racial bias in pursuit of “diversity.”
I hate to break it to all the Affirmative Action supporters out there, but this in itself is racism. And no, it’s not the made up definition of racism as “prejudice plus power.” It’s racist in the real sense of the word.
This is a pertinent issue because we’ve all experienced it in one way or another. All of us here at Santa Clara could’ve been given a boost or been negatively affected by our applications on the basis of our race.
In a very basic sense, Affirmative Action is racist and unfair. It assumes that without the university’s direct help, minority students would not have the academic credentials to get into whatever college or university they’re applying to.
It casts a shadow over their academic career of, “Could I have gotten in here without Affirmative Action?”, and that is a burden no minority student at Santa Clara should bear.
Of course most of them could’ve gotten in without Affirmative Action. It’s unfair to them that their academic qualifications are questioned just because they were subjected to a program they never asked for and don’t need.
Asians, perhaps so more than any other ethnic or racial group, are tremendously hurt by Affirmative Action. It’s a well-documented phenomenon that colleges raise standards for Asian applicants.
Since Asians tend to be higher achieving than other minority groups, institutions want to lower their acceptance rates to maintain, what they see an appropriate racial balance at these schools to be.
That is wrong, plain and simple. Our society should be constantly striving to erase boundaries between groups of people, not reinforce them. College admissions offices across the nation should begin to focus on the merits of a student’s application and if they truly deserve to attend the college they are applying to.
Leave behind this racist policy of Affirmative Action, and start to judge people by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.
Andy Hudlow is a first year business major.
Articles in the opinion section represent the views of the individual authors only and not the views of The Santa Clara or Santa Clara University
For you to suggest that I made it into SCU for anything other than my own intelligence and hard work is extremely offensive. I was not given acceptance into this school, I EARNED it. In fact, it seems that the only time my being here is questioned is from white students like you.
First of all he didn’t suggest anything. The author stated facts. Your offense should be taken with your comment…not the author. Furthermore your usage of “white students” is racist by definition. Hopefully upon your graduation your appreciation of facts will grow. I will applaud you in one category. You are willing to speak your mind. Now use that mind to think critically…your future depends upon it. Jason Kraus http://www.aleadernotapolitician.com
Jason Get a life bro…
Fortunately for you “bro” I and millions of Americans have a life. We are the citizens generating your ability to live free “bro”. I look forward to your next syllable:)
I just want to make sure this was written someone in the 21st century. I also want to clarify that this article was not written for the lampoon newspaper, The Onion. Just clarifying.
-your adoring fans
Dear First-Year Business Major,
You should probably consider a diversity class ASAP. While you’re at it, you may want to take a look around campus and let me know how much this racist Affirmative Action policy has oppressed you.
Sincerely,
Alumni Business Major ’14
Dear YuS,
You’ve completely missed the author’s point. Let me try a different line of thinking. There are only two cultures in human behavior. Freedom and Oppression. Multiculturalism or Diversity as you mentioned is the mixing of Freedom and Oppression. Mixing the two is insanity. Diversity has nothing to do with skin color. Unfortunately this has been fed to millions over the last few decades. Skin color isn’t diverse. It pertains to humans proximity to the sun over the last 50,000 plus years. Try this. Find someone with “different skin color” than yourself and then turn your hands over palms up. You will find out very quickly we are all the same “color”. I call it Human.
Wow, yet another brilliantly ignorant and entitled article written by Mr. Hudlow. I wouldn’t expect any less.
“Brilliantly ignorant”…must be an English major:) Your expectations will only meet your requirements in life and life begins with the man in the mirror Bob.
Have you considered that Affirmative Action actually helps white women the most out of any other group?
I am absolutely ashamed to say that I go to the same school of higher education as this ignorant author who has spouted inaccuracies for the purpose of a completely invalid argument. First of all, the Affirmative Action program has MOST benefited WHITE WOMEN and does not account for the high number of highly qualified, intelligent people of color. Second, SCU admissions doesn’t look at race as the primary factor of ones eligibility, but it is a factor when considering social equity. People of color have been kept out of institutions like ours for decades –the first Generation Guatemalan with a 4.0 is more deserving than the white student from Bellerman with a 4.0.
Racism IS prejudice plus power, that is a scholarly concept agreed upon by all intelligent communities. You really need to pay more attention in school
Sadly Zoe you are wrong on many levels Racism and prejudice are two different things never mind the fact that you don’t need “power” for either to occur. Guatemalan is a nationality not a race. White is a color not a race. You should heed your own advice and “really pay more attention in school”…or if these are the things you are “learning” request your money be returned and beat feet!:)
You’re like one of those people who say “I don’t see color.” You don’t think what you’re saying is inherently offensive, but it truly is. We should have left racist policies behind hundreds of years ago, but we didn’t. We should have stopped seeing color hundreds of years ago, but we didn’t. It isn’t enough to say you don’t see color now. It isn’t enough to say we should just start judging people by the content of their character because damage has been done. De facto racism against African Americans, Latinos, and other disadvantaged minorities continued well into the 20th century. There are still reparations to be done. We can’t simply “start to judge people by the content of their character” because people of color were judged by the color of their skin for so long. You can’t just cast that aside and pretend it never happened.
Before you inevitably say “but slavery ended so long ago, black people need to get over it!”, I’ll stop you. Jim Crow laws still existed in the 1960s. Black students had to be escorted to school BY THE ARMY in the 1960s. African Americans were and are still affected by poverty because they were legally barred from sharing facilities with white people for so long. But no, affirmative action is the racist policy!
I’m Asian, and I don’t mind that affirmative action disadvantages me, because it opens up opportunity for other people who may have not received that opportunity otherwise. No, affirmative action is certainly not a perfect system, but it is helping.
“You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, “you are free to compete with all the others,” and still justly believe that you have been completely fair.” – LBJ
Despite my own comment defending certain claims by the author, your closing remark in particular speaks volume about the validity of the opposing argument. Thanks for sharing.
Jay, I’m writing a response to this article for next and am hoping I could steal this LBJ quote for it. Hope you don’t mind, it’s a great one.
Incredibly ignorant article. Sad to see this in my alma maters newspaper.
This is an unfounded and harmful opinion piece that is completely out of touch with the realities of our world. As a white woman I am afforded privileges all across this country that individuals who are people of color are not afforded. Affirmative Action is designed to compensate for those privileges. How dare you question a system that has helped and not hindered some many brilliant and hard working students. Your piece is indicitive of a closed mind and full of inflammatory rhetoric.
Hannah,
The privilege you speak of has nothing to do with skin color. Humans all over the world, in a wide variety of countries, have different “skin color”. The privilege is being an American citizen. The indication of “inflammatory rhetoric” is only found by the “close-minded”.
Appreciate your privilege. There are millions around the world of all colors who would trade places with you in a heartbeat.
Interesting point. Why should my friend, who went to the same exact elementary, middle, and high-school as me – played the same sports – did the same community service – and got the same grades… be denied access to a school that I was granted admission to?
Call me ignorant all you want, but everyone knows (but doesn’t talk about the fact that) it is because his name was Zhi Peng and mine is Nathan.
If higher levels of education want to do any kind of affirmative action, it should be based on socio-economic status.
e.g. A poor black student from Birmingham has a much different lived experience of racial and economic stereotypes than a rich black student from the Bay Area.
I understand the base point. You’re trying to say that equality should mean everybody is on a level playing field, and that preferential treatment should be given to no one.
Unfortunately, that’s trying to claim a level playing field when there isn’t one. Minorities have never had the same access to education and opportunity as white people. Viewing everyone under the same criteria inherently favors the better educated and wealthier whites.
Let’s say the college admissions process was a chess tournament. You’ve had coaching and have been playing in official tournaments against some of the best players in the world since you were four. I’ve been playing since the same age, but since I couldn’t afford tournament entry or coaching, all of my experience comes from playing in the weekends in Central Park. Who do you think will get in?
Chances are it’s you. I’ve got a decent shot, bu the quality of my experience and training simply doesn’t match up. Am I less deserving because my skill level is plainly lower, or do I get an opportunity for coming as far as I did with what little resources I have?
Also, pretty ballsy to non-ironically call college admissions offices the most blatantly racist institutions in the country, and not, you know, the NRA or something.
Ryan,
There is a book titled White Guilt “non-ironically” written by someone who isn’t “white”. You should check it out. Your words seem to align you with the “deserved” Bernie Sanders “free stuff for everyone crowd”.
Your logic wasn’t faulty but rather misplaced…until you tied the NRA in with “racist institutions”. From there any credibility left the building. It appears you’ve read Malcolm Gladwell but unfortunately my young friend you missed his message. Try again. You have the intellect but are either missing experience or compassion.
Jason,
Thanks for your replies. You might be one of the greatest comment trolls I’ve ever seen – I applaud the patronizing tone, the rather irrelevant grammar and linguistics nitpicking, and the masterful pettifogging.
I hope that when you decide to emerge from your mother’s basement for another month’s supply of Doritos and Mountain Dew, you take a moment to bask in your glory. You’ve earned it.
Keep fighting the good fight, noble keyboard warrior. You’re making a difference, one useless comment at a time.
Ryan
Pettifogging? Excellent:) I enjoyed your response although the basement/Mountain Dew/Doritos reference is a bit cliche. You can do so much better. Noble keyboard warrior is wonderful verbiage but it appears you’ve been reading my columns or comments to thousands of people. Imitation is the ultimate form of flattery so I thank you…from the bottom of “my mom’s basement”.
Assuming you are a student and under the age of 22 I appreciate your pluck.
For the record I drink nothing but water. I do enjoy an occasional Dorito.
Keep punching…your jab will get better.
Sincerely,
Jason
The only thing more atrocious than your quasi-intellectual viewpoints is your senate campaign website
For laughs click the following link: http://www.aleadernotapolitician.com
Good luck running for Senate in California as a bigot Jason.
Alex,
Thank you for the free advertising and well wishes Alex. Please take some time to read and ascertain the factual data I provide on the website as it is tax-paying citizens like myself that keep the lights on in this country.
As far as the name calling goes do not let the example of today’s politician guide you. Derogatory language is a sign of weakness.
Inmates use it quite a bit.
In the future you should relegate your engagement of the words (or their roots) atrocity and laugh to the sideline or at least do not use them together. Doing so only boosts your “quasi-intellectual” argument in reverse. Be well. Be free. Be kind. Assuming you are registered to vote I will put you down as a maybe.
Andy,
I enjoyed your column. The topic isn’t a new one and frankly I look forward to the day that the color of our “skin” becomes irrelevant. With that said it was well written, easy to follow, and as you can see from the comments left, struck a chord. The Pen is mightier than the Sword when used properly. Continue forward my young friend with one correction. Please do not start sentences with “And”. I know some will profess this as acceptable. It is not. Be kind, be well, be free. Your generation has been saddled with catastrophic debt and needs all Andy Hudlow’s at the ready. God Bless. Jason Kraus
This student is not wrong to make a claim that affirmative action is unfair for many individuals.
How does race indicate someone is disadvantaged? The fact anyone is claiming that a certain race (lets just pick Blue Smurfs to keep you sensitive latex allergy folks out of agony), it’s self is racist. There are poor Blue Smurfs who are raised in drug-engrossed homes, and rich Blue Smurfs who belong to the white collar Mommies and Daddies [although few in number].
Well when it comes time to performance, it is really the Rich Blue Smurfs succeeding in school and then on-top of that affirmative action benefits them even further. The poor Blue Smurfs are so engrossed into the jobs they start at 16, and affording food to put on the table, many do not wish to, or make it into college.
While I can see why you believe in the argument behind your article, even more so after listening to the segment on KSCU, I have to respectfully disagree (you said you wanted to start a discussion right?). I think I am most upset at the fact that you don’t seem to comprehend that racism still exists in large quantities in today’s society and that affirmative action, although somewhat flawed in execution, is trying to counteract the lasting and current effects of discrimination. Reading your other articles, I’m not sure you understand how privilege plays a role in this as well. Think of it in this simplistic way-the perpetual cycle of racism in America prevents children of certain minorities from attending good schools or growing up in good neighborhoods. Their reality is much different than yours. They have to fight for everything they earn tooth and nail, inside the classroom and out, due to the systematic discrimination that kept their parents out of good schools and good neighborhoods, their grandparents before them, etc., and yet they still want to pursue a college education so they work extraordinarily hard in order to accomplish this. It’s like running a race where all of the white kids have a clear sprint to the finish line, but some of the minority students have to jump over a long series of hurdles first. The minority students can see into your lane, but you can’t see into theirs. You don’t know what it’s like to grow up with nothing and have to prove people wrong and overcome the system at every turn. I don’t know what it’s like from personal experience, but I am the first to acknowledge that fact. My grandparents, on the other hand, had every obstacle to over come as they were Japanese-American in the midst of World War II. While they were applying to college, they 100% should have had affirmative action on their side considering they were forced to attend schools inside concentration camps, were removed from their homes, and faced extreme levels of hatred and prejudice due to their ethnicities. But me? Their hard work and perseverance my father’s hard work and perseverance meant that I don’t have those same obstacles to overcome. It’s hard to see privilege when you have it, but easy to tell when you don’t. So to make a claim that these minority students, who have overcome far more than SAT tests and bad teachers due to this country’s long, cyclical history of discrimination, don’t deserve to have that fact recognized and apologized for in their college acceptances because you feel that racism no longer exists, is very ignorant. From the way you speak, you sound intelligent and willing to learn, so please take a class on diversity or racism in America. I think it would do you a lot of good.
I understand having an unpopular opinion, and will not attack you based on how I morally react to your argument. However, when arguing for such a strong stance, you must utilize equally strong evidence. Not once in this article were you able to quantify any of your claims with any sort of evidence, leaving the reader to trust you on your word alone (which is, by itself, not reputable). Your poorly supported claims leave plenty of logical holes on which opponents can easily prey. An argument this bold must be airtight, and you have to be willing to dialogue with people afterward to clarify and discuss. Neither of those things is happening here.
As far as I know, it’s entirely possible for a student (or maybe even just someone who submitted an application) to examine their own admissions file after a decision has been made and the admissions committee has examined it. It’s an aspect of FERPA. Also, the school has to comply with your request within 45 days.
If anyone is in fact curious as to why they did get in, they can look at what the officers wrote about them in their notes in the file. However, given that some colleges have made absurd rules regarding viewing your OWN admissions files, it might be difficult.
If anybody does this, feel free to reply and tell us what happened.
Disappointing that this article is still on banner of the website. Article has a tiny bit of a interesting point, but can definitely be offensive. I’m sure the author didn’t mean that. Comments are nasty.
“Sure, you can argue that other parts of society are equally racist, but at least they cover it up.”
Yeah, you shouldn’t be talking about racism.