The Impact of Affirmative Action

• Only a small fraction of the public (16%) reports having been directly affected by affirmative action programs. 
• Overall, 11% say they’ve been hurt, 4% have been helped. 
• Among blacks, 14% say they have been helped by such programs, while 5% say they’ve been hurt. 
• Among other non-whites, about equal numbers have been helped (11%) and hurt (13%).
• Most Hispanics say they’ve been unaffected , but 4% say affirmative action has helped them and 8% say it’s hurt them. 
• By a margin of 13% to 2%, whites say they’ve been hurt rather than helped ­ and more white men (17%) than women (9%) say this. 
• Overall, 27% of Americans ­ including 26% of whites and 37% of blacks ­ say that most people connect minorities’ successes in business and education to racial preferences, rather than their own skills, and hard work.

What I understand from this data, from the Pew Research Center, that affirmative action has benefited blacks more than harmed, and it has harmed Hispanics and whites more that benefited. So is is okay to have affirmative action just to benefit the blacks and let whites be harmed? Now I understand why some people call affirmative action reverse discrimination. Instead of being racist towards minorities, could affirmative action be considered racist towards whites? This data makes me begin to doubt my initial stance on affirmative action. Does this data make you want to change your opinion too?