Overview

Proposition 16 is one of the 13 propositions on the California ballot during this year’s election. If it passes, it plans to repeal Prop 209 passed in 1996, which bans discrimination and special treatment based on race, color, sex, ethnicity or national origin for decision-making policies.

It was created as a way to ensure more diversity in schools, the workplace, and other areas as well, by favoring some groups over others. But would favoring a specific group over another help to achieve equality in California?

Yes

By helping groups that have been disadvantaged throughout history, we can be closer to achieving equality in California. 

In years past, areas such as public education and the workplace did not have much diversity in California, but Prop 16 would change that and would help to increase diversity, by creating opportunities for minorities.

“It [Prop 16] would allow the state to consider the diversity of its citizens when constructing or enforcing the law, which is vital under any system. Having a more direct route to supporting minorities across the board would be a step forward in racial, gender, and disability equality,” said Ray Herbert (‘21).

If groups who have not had as many opportunities were given support to access them, diversity would increase in areas such as the workplace and public education.

Prop 16 would also help to end inequality, by giving certain groups a boost. Throughout history, some groups have been more privileged while others have been severely disadvantaged in terms of opportunities. Granting access to opportunities to those who are less privileged than others would help to end inequality.

“The positives of reinstating affirmative action would be allowing ethnic minorities from historically underserved areas to have the same access to higher education as their more affluent peers. This means that more Latinos and Blacks will have access to higher education and jobs that would have previously been out of reach due to circumstances out of their control,” said an anonymous male senior.

Not everyone is born with the same opportunities and privileges. Some people may have access to a variety of opportunities ever since birth, while others are struggling to reach those opportunities and be on the same level as the privileged, resulting in inequality in California.

By implementing Prop 16, California could be one step closer to equality. Giving minorities groups support, and allowing them to access the same opportunities that more privileged people have could help to solve inequality in California. 

If we want to see equality in California someday, Prop 16 would help us be one step closer to that goal, by creating opportunities for certain minority groups, while increasing diversity in areas like employment and public education.

No

A Proposition meant to end discrimination, by discriminating certain groups in California would take us one step backwards in terms of equality in California. 

Because Prop 16 would factor in race as a means to make decisions, some groups would inevitably be discriminated against. This would only worsen inequality in California, instead of lessening it.

“I think this prop is a step back for California. I don’t think it should be passed, because it is allowing some discrimination and possibly some racism, for people to discriminate against POC,” said an anonymous female senior.

Trying to fight discrimination with discrimination would only lead to more discrimination. If one group is favored over another, it will still cause discrimination in California. Prop 16 will ultimately divide us apart, instead of bringing us together, which would push us away from the goal of equality for all.

Some also believe that Prop 16 is approaching inequality incorrectly, believing that there are other ways to address this problem in California.

“We have to look at the socioeconomic statuses of each person individually instead of looking at the races so that we wouldn’t have to deal with this,” said Alex Haga (‘21).

Not every person who is part of a minority group in California faces disadvantages or is discriminated against. Just as not every person who is part of a majority group has an advantage over others. Addressing inequality in California by looking at ones income, instead of looking at ones race or sex would be more effective, as it could truly help those who need it most, instead of basing it off ones race. 

Prop 16 reinforces a stereotype that states that minorities can’t be successful without special treatment, and while that may be true for some cases, it is a harmful stereotype that doesn’t apply to everyone and degrades the successes of minorities.

Overall, Prop 16 would do more harm than good in California, by discriminating against certain groups, further separating us apart, and would uphold negative stereotypes. California is already severely divided and Prop 16 would only worsen what is already happening.