Various Asians

M

y comments area for yesterday's post became a mini-forum concerning an Asian woman who obviously leans to the right. Michelle Malkin opposes affirmative action and has recently published a book that supports the policy of racial profiling against Arab/Muslim Americans using, and defends the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Well, I cannot agree with her, of course. I am for affirmative action for minorities, including Asians, as I do not think that mere numbers--especially those that simply reflect the demographics of a population--should be a criteria in determining eligibility for affirmative action. Affirmative action, as I understand it, aims to provide an avenue for those who have been disadvantaged into areas where they have been previously denied entrance. The most accessible example is education. I touched on this subject earlier concerning basketball. Some have suggested that whites on basketball teams are the minority and therefore deserve more credit, respect, whatever. I say, hogwash. I can't buy it. That would be tantamount to suggesting that whites are athletically inferior.

Is that true? How do we know this? Is there a physiological difference between races? Do blacks have better jumping muscles? If that's true, then the next step is to say that blacks have attributes that are superior, like dancing or rhythm. The only proof people have suggested are the numbers. Just look, they might suggest, there are simpy more and better black athletes.

Does that mean, then, that if there are more whites in another arena of society, say politics, for instance, does that mean that whites are politically more savvy? That they have more intelligence?

Numbers do not prove shit. There are disproportionately more Asians in college than any single ethnic group, but what the heck does that prove? That they are smarter? Hardly. It may reflect more determination, more drive. It may also suggest more opportunity. But it does NOT prove that we have reached some kind of equality in society where everyone is color blind and we all play on a level playing field.

We Asians have faced various forms of discrimination. Some overt, some covert. But experience it, we have. And so we continue to need the opportunities like affirmative action. It has nothing to do with getting a hand out. It is about being fair. About getting the opportunities to exapand and participate and contribute in society as equals. That day has not yet come.

But I swear, I pray that I will see that day come before I die.

Postscript: Don't get me wrong. I know that there are many righteous people of all colors out there. Since I am in education, I am surrounded by those who are truly color blind. But these enlightened people are too few in number.