Before Affirmative Action goes out the Door: Is there a Need in the United States Virgin Islands
Carmie K. Thompson, Kula A. Francis

Abstract
This study explores and analyzes the underlying factors related to a need for affirmative action policies in the U.S. Virgin Islands. One of the considered minority groups in the United States, blacks, make up about 76% of the population in the U.S. Virgin Islands. (Census 2010). Affirmative Action should not only ascribe to societies where there is a distinctive representation of typical majority (Whites) in proportion to typical minorities, such as Blacks and Women. Instead, it should also consider persons from different national origins, with legal residency or legal rights to U.S. citizenship who may not be proportionately represented at all occupational levels in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The theoretical framework explains that social mobility, culture, group relations and national origin relations in the Virgin Islands ‘society and how stereotyping and typecasting can affect hiring practices in this society. This research defines affirmative action as a social policy to give persons living in the U.S. Virgin Islands from other national origins with legal status, the rights to occupational social mobility and fair representation and rights in society as one considered a native born Virgin Islander.

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