Are affirmative action programs promoting race as a social construct?

While reading "The Heart of Whiteness" for class tomorrow, I can't help but comment on something that I disagree with. On page 81 of our books, or page 12 of this book chapter, Robert Jensen states, some of the common reactions to what he gets when he speaks on the subject of racism and white privilege. One of these reactions include, "White privilege doesn't exist anymore because affirmative action has made being white a disadvantage." After stating, affirmative action programs at times deny whites a slot in a university or job, Jensen goes on to say, "Whites often complain that the affirmative action, therefore, deprives them of things to which they are entitled." First off, I disagree with this statement. I do not believe whites should necessarily be "entitled" to a slot for a job or university, nor do I think the majority of whites feel they have an entitlement or right to the position. However, I do believe that affirmative programs are doing just the same thing white American's have for a long time; they are promoting race as a social construct. If in order to help end racism, we must stop looking at race as a social construct in society, then affirmative programs are doing just the opposite. By only allowing opportunities for people of color, or non-whites, our society is promoting a difference in race, or showing that a difference in races do indeed exist. I understand that affirmative action programs are put in place to compensate, or at least try to compensate, for white privilege, but looking at the bigger picture I think it continues to demonstrate to American's that race exists, and we are presenting minority races with opportunities to compensate for white privilege. I'm not sure what's better or worse, implementing affirmative action programs to help compensate for white privilege in attempts to give non-whites an equal advantage, or not implementing these programs in an attempt to end the social construct of race...