A recent article in the New York World brings attention to an issue that some find frustrating or upsetting: requiring an affidavit to confirm certain ethnic backgrounds. In New York, the city added a new affidavit requirement to its application in 2010 for all Hispanic applicants. Other groups, including Asian Americans and African Americans do not have to complete this portion of the application. It’s a process that does not bother some, but others find the requirement “disrespectful and alienating” that leads to a “shadow of suspicion” on the entire community. The certification office claims that the affidavit prevents abuse of the program from unqualified groups.
Some groups are calling for the affidavit to become a requirement for all program applicants or removed from the application all together. What do you think?
