As apartheid South Africa came to an end, the government pushed new affirmative action policies. Affirmative action is a solution created by the government to make up for effects of long-standing discrimination against certain groups. One primary policy that was put into action was more job opportunities being given to people of color. Carel explains that the policies were "very necessary," but it also led to struggles for him and his family. As Carel hunted for a job in South Africa, affirmative action stood in his way. When he discovered a summer job opportunity in the United States, working at a tennis resort in Massachusetts, he took it. Eventually, he was offered a full time position and decided to stay in the United States.