Liberal activists are outraged that Asian students welcomed Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in two cases challenging Harvard and the University of North Carolina’s consideration of race in admissions.
“This ruling effectively strips diversity from schools and communities,” National Education Association President Becky Pringle bemoaned on MSNBC.
ABC News political contributor Donna Brazile branded the ruling a “setback,” as the Robert Court’s “attack” on affirmative action had defenders of the policy “sticking a dagger in our back.”
California Representative Ro Khanna argued that the verdict will set back Asian students, while denying black students the benefits of affirmative action.
“What isn’t being talked about enough is the harm this is going to do for students, not just black and Latino students, but white and Asian-American students,” Khanna worried.
Former federal prosecutor Paul Butler viewed the ruling with even more apprehension, fearfully stating that without affirmative action, the country is in danger of “shut[ting] out…the people who built this country.”
These claims disregard the reality that affirmative action was designed to fight against discrimination– discrimination that Asian students often experience. Studies have shown that Asian students are more likely to receive admissions at elite universities when race isn’t included as an admissions factor, demonstrating that quotas for certain racial groups create a disadvantage for Asian students.
Further, affirmative action has proven to not be a beneficial answer to inequality. According to a 2019 study, 40.2% of black students who didn’t benefit from affirmative action dropped out from college, compared to only 37.5% of those who did benefit.
The ruling defense affirmed their stance. “Assuming without deciding that Harvard’s limited use of race does serve compelling interests, it nevertheless fails strict scrutiny because Harvard has not shown that its use of race is narrowly tailored to achieve its interests,” the court said, quoting from the majority opinion.
The Department of Justice echoed this sentiment, stating, “No American should be denied admission to school because of their race. As a nation, we have made tremendous progress towards eliminating racial preference and ending discrimination in all forms. Our nation is one of equal opportunity for all.”
Rather than relying on divisive preferential treatment, we should use education to foster racial understanding, ensuring that students of all backgrounds are able to attend our nation’s top universities. Only then can we reap the benefits of a more diverse academic landscape.