Why do some people not know the parties that Affirmative Action covers?

A steady string of university studies have shown that the group which has most benefited from affirmative action is white women. I'm often surprised by the comments of some people about this topic because they clearly indicate these people are unaware that affirmative action applies to all women, ethnic minorites, the disabled, etc etc In public discourse, some white politicians who are closet racists use deceptive wording to mislead listeners into thinking that affirmative action only applies to African-Americans.