My family has been in this country shorter than most black families, so there is no way I should have to pay the price for slavery. That argument is just plain wrong and relies way too much on incorrect generalizations. Someone mentioned the success of many Asians without relying on such handouts.
At my college (an ivy league university) there are a ton of Asians, many of them first or second generation american citizens. Our school does not add any weight to those of Asian descent in the admissions process. They are very well represented at the school so extra admissions are not necessary. Now these students definitely face discrimination and injustices because they are a minority, but why are they exceedingly successful? Meanwhile the black population at the school is extremely underrepresentative of the population. Are those students really persecuted more strongly than Asians?
The issue of college admissions should not rely on race at all. If the colleges wanted to increase "diversity" and give financially challenged students a chance to succeed and better their life, they can easily do that. But this condition is not rooted in just race. This is a far more complicated issue that colleges refuse to acknowledge. Why is it that most of the minority students I know at school are better off financially than I am? It's because affirmative action as it stands is a joke. Elite colleges still mainly consist of kids coming from upper middle class families. So the schools let minority students who went to a suburban prep school in, and consider that their affirmative action. This is a total sham. The reason for affirmative action's existence is to benefit those who come from unfortunate circumstances.
I was lucky to be admitted to the school, but it really makes me angry when I think of so many of my friends who did not get into good schools, despite impeccable records and loads of activities/sports. Then I see the kid who is 1/16th black and comes from a family of doctors who was let in because of his minority background.
If the government really wanted to see true equality, they would give more money to the public schools system. Give inner-city students more opportunities and better education and there won't be a need for colleges to deal with the issue. Stop dumbing down our colleges and fix the problem where it starts.