You're Hispanic Correct?

Reading through Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s book Racism Without Racists specifically a section out of Chapter 7 it made me start to think of situations in which the same thing has occurred to me.  A section in this chapter talks about a study that was done, in which opinions of both black people and white people were recorded on what they thought of affirmative action, school and residential segregation, and if they opposed or supported it.  While being interviewed on the affirmative action portion, Irma, who was an accounting clerk and in her early thirties at the time was the only one to oppose it.  The reason she was against affirmative action was because of her view on attaining a job and that everyone should have an equal opportunity to receive said job.  She doesn’t think it is right to be hired or to receive benefits not just in the job market but, in other opportunities because of her or other people’s race. The one that put in the hardest work should be offered the opportunity and that alone should be what is used to determine it.

            I too once held this vision, why should I be put above other applicants for a job or school or reward because I am Hispanic? But I then realized how idiotic I sounded, it is like someone that complains about having too much money, it shouldn’t happen. So I embraced the preference, just like my parents had taught me at a young age to run with whatever talents or skills I had and use them towards my advantage.  The way I see it is in this melting pot country of the diversity and races it encompasses, they need people like me who can speak Spanish or translate if need be, although it is known that the reason for affirmative action is to try and make up for any scrutiny our races were put under in the past.

            One instance in my life where I know for a fact I was hired because of my race is when I attained my first job, which I still hold to this day.  The short story of it all is that I was a sophomore in high school and my teacher talked to me about a job he had heard of that he knew I was perfect for.  The specification’s for the job was that I was supposed to be a camp counselor and set up activities for kids in the grade groups ranging from 1^st-5^th grade.  I went in for an interview because up to this point I did not have a job and even better it would be for when I was out of school on summer break.  I went through the interview and given the job but not before being asked if I was fluent in Spanish and that they would need me very much because a lot of the parents, where I was being set up, a lot of them spoke Spanish. So it was in this first instance that I went through the affirmative action portion of the job market, and it is not even a bad thing to me, a lot of people might get offended at my disclosure of this information. The way I see it is, yes I received the job because of my skin color, my race, because I could speak Spanish and not because of my qualifications, which quite frankly at this point I did not have any.   But it is just like the example I provided at the beginning with having too much money, I am not going to complain for receiving the job, other people might, but not me. The links below have to do with similar situations in which affirmative action was used in the process.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2013/11/obama-administration-again-backs-university-of-texas-176537.html

http://www.ere.net/2012/05/08/minority-report-the-role-of-race-in-hiring/

Image Courtesy of: http://www.dividedstates.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/affirmative-reaction.jpg