Throughout history, the government has struggled with the argument of affirmative action and race. What do we base the regulations of affirmative action on? Do we base it on race, class, or need? Who are we to decide who should receive help over another person? It has to be done unfortunately and not everyone can be helped, however what do people base their decisions on? This is a difficult question that is touched in the article, “How Jews Became White,” by Karen Sacks.
While the US was in World War II the economy was not the best, however afterwards the
US “emerged with the strongest economy in the world” (Sacks 123). In order to reward those male, Euro- origin veterans that served under the
United States the government the GI Bill of Rights. This act was known as “the most massive affirmative action program in
U.S. history” (Sacks 123) and strived to proved the veterans with a way of living that mirrored the economy. Not only did the government provide the veterans with financial aid through the transition from serving to working, but they also sent many of the younger vets to college to get an education. This action helped to raise the middle class population that had college degrees. Before college was for wealthy white families, the GI Bill opened college to the middle class and/or lower.
I believe that it is unfair to base affirmative action strictly on race. Although whites have been receiving assistance since the government was first created, that should not stop the government for assisting other whites who need the help, or vice versa. The GI Bill had good intensions in trying to help out the war veterans; however it discriminated against any person of color. It was only open to white veterans, and mostly from the Euro- origin. Many people today are still benefiting from the GI Bill, and taking full advantage of a free college education.
To touch back on the original question of race versus class, I believe that class and financial need should have been considered for the GI Bill. What’s done is done, however we now know to learn from our mistakes. We should not assign help to a family or person that is fairly well off when we have much poverty in the world.
Lastly the article talked about how when people first started to immigrate to
North America, we were all a “different race.” There were Germans, Irish, Swedes, English, ETC. They were not all considered white at the time, and they all had one nationality that they claimed to be associated with. However as the
United States developed nationalities started to mix and people started to refer to themselves as half Irish and half German ( as an example). Nationalities started to become more subtle, and people started to refer to themselves as Americans and disregard their heritage. This, for example, is how the “Jews became White.”
Blair Said:
on March 23, 2007 at 4:56 pm
The GI Bill of Rights applied to all veterans irregardless of race. African Americans veterans were eligible for the full range GI Bill benefits. Black verterans did attend college on the GI bill. Fewer African Americans were able to take advantage of the because they lacked high school diplomas or failed to meet admission standards and because some universities, particulary in the South were integrated . Black veterans also qualified for mortgage loans under the GI bill. Since the GI Bill guarantee to pay off loans when veterans defaulted, lenders were willing to require smaller downpayments. Some black veterans did purhcase homes under the GI bill, but a smaller percentage of black veterans than white veterans could afford homes.
Skin color is not a very good indicator of race because skin color varies as dramatically withing races as it does between races. However, the people of the Eastern Mediterranean, which would include the ancient Hebrews, are caucausians. Most American Jews are European (Ashkenazi) Jews. While 40 pecent have genetic markers that indicate some genetic heritage from the Eastern Mediterranean, that are basically Europeans. (They score higher on IQ test than any other racial or ethnic group, so they are good to have around.)
The first wave of Irish immigrated to American in the early 1700s. They were Scots-Irish protestants from Northern Ireland. Rather than settle in urban centers such as New York, Philadephia or Boston, they move inland. These are the people who crossed the Appalachians into Ohio, Kentucky , and Tennessee and populated much of the deep Southp; they than kept moving west to Texas and beyond. They met encountered littile prejudice and, today, have little sense of a connection to Ireland or things Irish. The Irish who encountered prejudice were the waves of Potato Famine Irish who began arrive in the late 1800s. They clustered in major cities, where they had a significant demographic impact. These are the Irish who celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.