Caucasians usually come from better neighborhoods, translating to better schooling, better test scores, better dress, and a better overall image. This leaves African Americans in a perpetual state of disadvantage. Growing up in the lower class neighborhoods usually leads to raising their children in the same sort of community because the negative "look" of the neighborhood prevents further advancement in the industry. .
Affirmative action has not completely done its job. Affirmative action has helped 5 million minorities and 6 million Caucasian and minority women move up in the workforce, but there are still many minorities who have not yet had the opportunity to take advantage of affirmative action (Plous). The unemployment rate for African American people is twice the rate than that of Caucasian people, despite the fact that white is the majority (Stephanopoulos). Ninety-seven percent of all senior managers in Fortune 1000 corporations are Caucasian males, and "only 0.4 percent of senior management positions in Fortune 1000 industrial and Fortune 500 service industries are Hispanic" (Stephanopoulos). On top of that, a woman's salary is only 70% of a male's salary (Affirmative). .
Another major argument against affirmative action is that if Indian people, Asian Americans, and other ethnic groups could rapidly advance economically, African Americans should be able to do the same. This is not an effective argument because Asians and Indian people did not have to endure what African American people had to endure in the past (Plous). They may have had to go through tough times in their own countries, but African Americans have a 375 year history in the United States (Plous). African Americans are on the very land that they were beaten, persecuted, and discriminated. The stigma related to the undermining of the African Americans has carried on throughout the centuries (Stephanopoulos).