Essential Question: There are a variety of notions surrounding discrimination in everyday life throughout these various chapters. We have a tendency to feel that all of the issues presented in this book are evil and negative in some way. The better challenge and mental exercise is to evaluate them as social issues, up for debate, and not only social problems that inherently require a solution. For this blog post, pick two chapters that don’t actually appear to be problems and address them. Tell your readers why you think they are not actually problems at all and are, instead, social issues that should be discussed and carefully watched. 

The chapter “Race and Family Income of Students Influence Guidance Counselor’s Advice”  discusses a study that showed that college counselors pushed middle class students more towards 2 year colleges, and upper class towards 4 year colleges. To me, this difference is not necessarily a problem, rather it is a personal choice made by the counselors. Going through the process now, I know that I am pushed towards colleges much different than my classmates. I am told to look at colleges based on my grades, my activities, and even on my income. A college counselor would not recommend that I look at Harvard, not because they are discriminating against me, but because they know the process and know that Harvard does not match up with my high school grades. The same goes for income. If counselors know that the child will not be able to pay, the counselor would more likely show them schools that are more realistic for the student. There is no problem with a counselor helping a student pick a school which they believe is best for the student, however it is up to the student to make sure that the college counselor has the student’s best interest in mind.

 In the chapter, Where “English Only” Falls Short, deals with businesses hiring employees that speak a different language, but still requiring that they mainly speak English. The author of this article was concerned with how an “English Only” policy might limit the amount of positive communication among employees, and limit any cultural development. However, I see no problem with the “English Only” policy. I believe that a work environment is different than any other environment. Most businesses have one goal: to earn money. Businesses must focus on how to best please their costumers, rather than how to make sure their employees, who are paid, experience their culture while working. Speaking the language of the costumers makes the employees more relatable to their costumers. Outside of work, employees are free to speak whatever language they wish too, but in work it is the boss’s decision of what language spoken would give them the most profit.