Goes By Fast!
Hey guys! Another post for JanaeSoccer is here! I just finished my soccer break and I have been really thinking about what‘s in store for my future. Since I skipped 4th grade I get one less year of soccer and school. This means that after 8th grade (which I’m starting after the summer,) I will already be in high school! I know it‘s moving so fast!
Even though I still have some time, it’s an exciting thought. It’s also nerve wracking. It means that soon I have to start making my soccer tape, looking at colleges, and also keeping my grades up to get into those high-level colleges! I have to make sure I stay on top of my training to make sure those colleges are scouting me. Speaking of colleges, a new decision from the Supreme Court was made. It impacts many Americans, and a few of those Americans I know personally.
Affirmative Action
The Supreme Court ruled that Affirmative Action can no longer be used in college decisions. Race can no longer be a factor that helps decide if you get into college. The reason Affirmative Action was created in the first place during the Reconstruction Period so that minority groups could have more chances and opportunities to get into college as they weren't given the same opportunities based on race. This meant that they didn't have the same resources, and so their grades and other achievements might not be the same as those being admitted into college.
After the Civil War the South came back to the Union. The South still didn’t want to treat African-Americans equally. In some states they made new laws that segregated the white people from the "colored" people. They made sure that "colored" people couldn‘t vote, get a good education, and their job opportunities weren't equal. By the 70s segregation was not legal, but people of color were not treated the same. African Americans were also still dealing with the effects of slavery even 100 or so years later, and the laws put in place after slavery that stopped African Americans from getting equal opportunities.
For Latinos, they always got some of the worst-paying jobs and jobs that other Americans just didn't want to do. When Hispanics came to America they usually became farmers. It was a steady job for them and their families, but they barely got paid anything for it. The farm owners took advantage of that as Mexicans and South Americans migrated to the US. The Bracero Program came into play bringing Mexicans to work under the farm owners. This program said that millions of Mexican men could come work for the United States on short-term labor contracts. That brought many Mexicans to live here. Their whole families would work on the farm trying to earn all the money they could get. The children usually didn’t stay in school until graduation, dropping out to make money just to survive. Even if they were smart, they didn’t have a degree to show for it. This made them seem not as valuable to colleges when it came time for that part of their lives.
When you look at the history of discrimination of people of color, Affirmative Action was put in place to help give those without the same opportunities, an opportunity to attend better colleges to give themselves a better life. Before this recent court decision by the Supreme Court on Affirmative Action was passed, Asian-Americans and Caucasians were impacted the most negatively by Affirmative Action, because those groups already dominated entry in higher level colleges. For example, at Harvard this is how many people from each group were full-time undergraduates:
Caucasian- 1,947
Asian- 1,230
Hispanic- 700
International- 665
Black or African-American- 626
Multi-Ethnic- 402
Unknown- 109
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander- 7
Even with the disadvantage of Affirmative Action, Asians and Caucasians were still the largest groups in Harvard. This ruling by the Supreme Court has some negative effects and positive ones. I looked into both sides.
Positives
Some of the positives of the Supreme Court's decision is now you cannot be discriminated against because of your race. Colleges shouldn’t let a factor like race stop somebody from getting into the college that they deserve to get into based on their grades, test scores, and activities. I understand there should be diversity at school, but those people worked hard to get into the college of their choice. In fact my cousin’s friend, who is Asian-American, is really smart. He gets all As every semester, does almost every after school activities possible. On to of that, he did college classes while in high school. He didn’t get into most of his top colleges. Even though he worked hard, took all the classes he should, did all the activities he was supposed to, and had a top GPA, race was a factor in him not getting into the schools he wanted to. He was devastated. Thankfully he still got into a good college. I read an article in the ”The Atlantic” that states that they believe that Affirmative Action unintentionally harmed the people it was suppose to be helping. This article states it did this by admitting students who might not be a good fit for that higher-level college. They may flunk these classes or show poor grades and eventually drop out. Even if they might be bright, those students might not be ready for that level of college education. The Supreme Court's decision makes it harder for these situations to happen based on race.
Negatives
One of the negative effects is now there could be less diversity in some of these colleges. A great thing about diversity is getting to learn and experience the other cultures surrounding you. It helps others be aware of certain beliefs, customs, or certain rules that some minority groups follow. It helps you understand those groups better. I know that I have met some different culture and races that follow different religions than me. I have learned more from it. For example, one of my soccer teammates could only play a certain amount of time and had to take breaks in between practice, because it was Ramadan. She could only eat after daylight hours, so her playing time at tournaments was limited. If she played too much she would be light-headed and dehydrated. Another example of how diversity helped someone learn something new was in college with my sister. She had international roommates when she went to Alliance University. She learned some of their customs and they were very different than how she had been raised. They were from Europe, and I was surprised about how different basic daily activities were. College is a time to express yourself and be independent. It’s where you discover how you want to live your life as an adult and by learning about different people, and different customs, can help you through that journey. Having less diversity in school will make society miss out on those unique opportunities.
The Upside of Books!
Let’s talk about the book I just finished reading! Even though I am on summer break doesn’t mean that I still can’t keep my mind sharp as a tack! It is about a Black family in the 1930’s trying to live through the racial problems they keep facing. It’s good for me to read about this as it alerts me on how far we come from the racial problems we faced back then! But also I should be aware of other cultures. That is why I am currently reading a book about an Asian son coming to what he calls the Demon Land (America) in the 1900’s. He comes with his uncle and meets his dad for the first time at 8 years old. His dad says that he was a dragon in a past life and tries to show, through actions in his whole life, that he is worthy to be with those creatures again. He tries to make a plane and his son even writes the Wright Brothers for advice! I haven’t finished yet, so I hope he accomplishes his dream! I have been reading cultural books lately to understand others more, and even the background of my own culture better.
Thank you!
Now this is my 3rd blog and since my first one my business has been doing better than I expected, but I’m still trying to reach my goal. Make sure you check constantly on my store to make sure you see the new things I create! I am still trying to grow JanaeSoccer and I hope this blog helps with that! Thank you everyone who has supported me through this business journey, and who knows? If you check every day maybe you will spot something you like!
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