preferential treatment to perceived minorities and disadvantaged groups ? the very same preferential treatment that was originally sought to be entirely abolished. The ongoing debate about affirmative action nowadays largely centers on this one issue of seemingly contradicting goals and interpretations of the law. Certainly, we do not see preferential treatment of the white, middle-class man ? a perceived majority of Americans ? over other, less represented groups, unless an employer or educational institution is willfully engaging in unfair, if not criminal, conduct. But which factors does one have to consider, and how does one have to weigh them, in order to determine who today?s minorities really are, how ?under-accepted? they are and to what degree they should be given preferential treatment before the scale tips?We try to give groups of people that are inherently different (in regard to their culture, personal backgrounds, life experiences, physical and mental abilities, etc.) the same education, the same professional tools and the same opportunities. This approach may be flawed. For reasons that I will further explain, I believe we need to ?go back to the roots? and adopt the initial idea behind affirmative action, which is fair and equal treatment for all. In fact, one way to make affirmative action ultimately succeed may be through better acknowledgement and support of multiculturalism. In America, many different cultures and subcultures exist side by side because everyone is welcome to live and work here, practice their beliefs and voice their opinions ? all within the limits of the law and of mutual respect, of course. In her essay, ?Multiculturalism in Education,? Jennifer Hochschild of Princeton University says: ?Public education, at least through high school, has traditionally been [?] the main route for assimilation of newcomers to the American political, economic, and social ?mainstream?. At the same time, the public educ...
