At what point in time do people start deserving an equal opportunity? Do we start it today? Yesterday? Since Obama was elected?
Because 60 years ago black people were basically unable to live a middle class lifestyle and acquire common assets such as a house or insurance. No one is suggesting that your grandparents give black people their house, but can we acknowledge that as a privilege you inherited and didn't earn?
Everyone has an adequate opportunity for success already. It will never be 'equal' in the sense that everyone has the same starting point. But the resources are all there for use, the threat of failure is a question of willpower at the moment, not racism.
Privileges I have in my raising come from a decent small town atmosphere typical of what you might find in a midwest small town. Am I supposed to feel bad about that? Or am I supposed to suggest that more towns, even urban ones, be like that so as to help insure more people of those privileges?
You did not answer my question and I think it matters. When did "everyone" begin having "an adequate opportunity for success already?" Because I think we both agree that at some point in the past there was inequality, and maybe now there is some too, but now "everyone" has "an adequate opportunity for success already." At what point did that become reality?
Racism isn't nearly as prevalent now in the populace than it was once. I see no solid indicators that people today are largely being held back by a system or institution or racism. You can blame those, but you haven't presented one single piece of evidence to me yet. Also, if it were racism, can you explain the elephant in the room, asians?
Why are asian statistics so different from blacks? If racism is so widespread, why did it overlook them?
At what point did "everyone" have "an adequate opportunity for success already?" When did racism of the past, stop being an impediment? "It is less prevalent now than it was once." When did the decline start? Was it evenly distributed? When did it cease being a significant problem?
As far as "the Asian exception" well it is pretty much just that:
Sourcing from here and wikipedia
http://www.migrationinformation.org/usfocus/display.cfm?ID=841#12
Also via wikipedia (checked most sources through census)
according to the 2010 census about 6% of the U.S. population is Asian
There is a long history of just simply excluding Asians from even being eligible for immigration
From 2000-2010 the Asian-American population became the fastest growing group
So at the height of white racism 1880-1940's Asians were pretty much excluded from entering the U.S. and stayed in their home countries of the six biggest countries of origin:
1) China 2) The Phillipines 3) India 4) Japan 5) Korea 6) Vietnam
A significant number of immigrants from these countries were educated professionals in their country of origin and entered the U.S. during an economic boom time when the general culture of the United States promoted their inclusion and welcomed their arrival. I'll let you compare that to patterns of African-American immigration to the United States on your own time.