Asian American Representation at Elite Colleges

Long before our federal government went after Harvard and Yale for allegedly discriminating against Asian American applicants in their admissions processes, we stood on our soapbox in college admissions to assert that indeed these schools — and all highly selective American universities — discriminate against Asian American applicants. And we demanded that these universities aim to do better in the years to come, to end this unjust discrimination. Heck, we even offered to teach them the ways in which — intentionally or not — they unjustly lump so many Asian American applicants together in admissions. It’s an offer that still stands today.

We Support Ending Asian American Discrimination in Admissions

But while we support the end of discrimination against Asian American applicants in admissions, we do not support our politically-motivated Department of Justice in their quest to deliver blows to these institutions. And why? Because the leadership of our current DOJ doesn’t actually care about ending Asian American discrimination in admissions. No, they care about advancing the president’s agenda of ending the practice of Affirmative Action, a practice that is not to blame for Asian American discrimination in the admissions process. These suits against Harvard and Yale are thus a means to an end — and Asian Americans are being used as pawns in this chess match.

But We Do Not Support Our Justice Department As They Wage War on Elite Universities

After all, if it were true that the current administration actually cared about Asian Americans, would the president’s personal attorney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, have been caught this week openly mocking Asian Americans? No, this administration doesn’t care about Asian Americans. This administration cares about increasing white representation at America’s universities and ending the practice of offering preferential treatment to underrepresented minorities. It’s why even though Harvard, Yale, and all other highly selective colleges are guilty of discriminating against Asian American applicants in admissions — a practice we urge them to stop and welcome the opportunity to teach them just how their implicit biases are impacting the admissions process — we stand with Harvard. We stand with Yale. And we stand with all colleges as they stand toe to toe with the powerful DOJ. Consider this our amicus brief.