Susan Au Allen

Susan Au Allen is an attorney and president of the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit organization representing Asian American business professionals. The following viewpoint is taken from a 1996 address in Las Vegas, Nevada, to a convention gathering of female legislators. Allen argues that affirmative action has two distinct meanings: programs that promote opportunities for both genders and all racial groups, and programs that give preferential treatment to select groups based on race or sex. She argues that most affirmative action programs fall within the second group, and criticizes them on the grounds that they unfairly discriminate against white men. She also questions whether existing income gaps between men and women are truly the result of gender discrimination.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How many government-sanctioned affirmative action programs...