King of the Hill was a show I would tend to avoid because after all, what was so entertaining about watching the dry humor of a working-class Texas family?
Two weeks later, and I think I’m hooked.
While the humor may be a bit dry, I like how this animated show addresses some of the real-world issues that many of us face in a way that can give anyone a chuckle here or there. Such is the case with a recent episode that brushed on the topic of affirmative action.
The episode begins with a young Asian girl (“Connie -also neighbor of Hank Hill–main character) has just received a letter stating that she was denied entry into a prestigious summer school program. In an attempt to plead her case, her father goes to the school to demand for an explanation. The administrator responds by telling this father that while Connie is a very smart “Asian” girl, the school already has a boat-load of them. She then says “She’s not Black, not Hispanic or even White. I mean good Lord, gimmie a White kid from a public school with Connie’s specs and that kid could waltz in here.” The father responds “You telling me that Connie didn’t get in because she is an over-achieving Asian?” The administrator acknowledges his conclusion by shrugging her shoulders. Thinking that she is helping this Asian family, the administrator asks if anything was left off of the application like “has Connie ever had to play that violin of hers on the street, you know to buy her strung-out mother just one more hit?” The father responds by saying “no”. The administrator says “Well, that coulda helped.”
Skipping to the conclusion of this episode, Connie finds herself in the office of yet another school administrator who is about to reject her late application into the program. It wasn’t until Connie mentioned some of the drama that took place during the episode (Parents lost their employment, home entering into pre-foreclosure, father abandoned family for a while and he was nearly killed by a 2×4) that the administrator had a change of heart about her application by saying “ummp, you have overcome so much….WELCOME ABOARD!”
What isn’t funny about this episode is that this type of inequality towards Asians in our educational system does exist. While it may not be protocol for a Black man to speak out against this type of treatment towards the “educated class”, my response that that silliness are two words: “SCREW IT”!
How can I, the product of a generation of people who marched, bled and died for equal treatment look the other way when I see folks of a different race being treated unfairly in a educational system we claim is for everybody?
Like most ethnic groups that have migrated into this country, the Asian community is made up of individuals who left behind poverty, oppression and tyrannical rule for a place where they can experience true freedom. The funny yet sad thing about affirmative action as it relates to education is that while we as Blacks continuously accuse white for being unfair to us throughout the years, we passionately push for and defend a system where they are entrusted to rank individuals based on race.
On the flip side of all of this, many Asians themselves are somewhat split on the whole issue of affirmative action. This could be seen in their voting patterns with California prop. 209 and Michigan prop. 2 where Asians tended to vote in favor of affirmative action. So who am I to defend them?
Apparently, whitey must be doing a good job at ranking us.
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