The courts generally have held that the remedies should be reserved for the actual victims. Fairly and equitably translating that into practice, however, is nearly impossible. And, even more, the black Hispanic who arrived yesterday would be favored over the white Hispanic who came on the bus with him. The task is to construct a legitimate government purpose for a favoritism policy for those who were never the victims of government-driven discrimination. This is where the argument slides into mush.
Government has a stake in promoting diversity and in helping new immigrants gain a toehold.
Jim Wooten's column appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.