Something like affirmative action, yes I find that racist since I find it patronising they can't hire ie. a black person for their skill and only doing so for the colour of his skin.
Wouldn't be as much of a problem if it was tweaked to declare that the person with higher qualification gets highest priority. So in a situation of a black having greater qualification than a white candidate, they are guaranteed the job strictly for the merit of his/her skill, rather than discarded because of their race. Ironically, isn't that what affirmative action should really be doing? Ensuring education is rewarded and equal opportunities are granted?
Affirmative action- what it actually is meant to do is protect minorities from discrimination. It's a fact that very few employers actually hire strictly on the merit of qualification. A lot of hiring has to do with perceived qualification, and also the willingness of the employer to work with someone. If someone is highly qualified but the employer dislikes them, it's within their right not to hire them.
Now, it is generally perceived as much easier for a person to relate to other people of their same community. If the majority of employers start out as male, white, upper/middle class, neurotypical, it is very likely they will favour people of their similar culture- mainly because it is who they are used to working with, and who they are used to serving.
I hate it when people assume that employers hire strictly based on qualification. That's a goddamn lie. It ain't unnatural to want to hire people who you feel comfortable with (or who your team will feel comfortable with), in fact that is good hiring practice.
The only problem is, the way society was- only a certain culture of people (male, white, upper/middle class), who have been favoured for centuries, are the people in the power positions. People don't open their minds if don't have too. They prefer comfort and constancy.
Anyone of any minority knows that in order for people such as that to hire someone outside of their general community, they need an INCENTIVE. Thats what affirmative action does. If nothing else, businessmen and politicians understand incentives...it is therefore logical to apply one for the quickest results.