While I am not in support of the Supreme Court decision to completely abandon the mission to achieve equal educational opportunity, I was also not in support of the affirmative action policy in place. The policy’s purpose was to ensure that every person, regardless of race, had an equal opportunity to attend the academic institution of their choice. The policy targeted systematic racism by raising racial quotas in admissions. Thus, the policy further benefited the elite under the guise of diversification efforts.
In alignment with the former affirmative action policy, college admission boards fulfilled their racial quotas with people of color from affluent areas which may have maintained racial diversity, but certainly not socioeconomic diversity. Affirmative action efforts should not be limited to observing race, but other factors such as place of origin, economic status, ethnic status, and generational status. Without those aspects of diversity, colleges lack a variety of perspectives that enrich classroom interaction and unite different social spheres of our country through education. The addition of these factors to those considered under affirmative action would contribute to the holistic assessment that I believe college admission boards should practice to ensure complete equity. Any classroom, especially of a public institution, that is not made up of people from all walks of life does not uphold the constitutional ideals that our country was founded upon–diversity, liberty, opportunity, and equality.
Asians make up just seven percent of the United States, but at many elite collegiate institutions, they are largely overrepresented in proportion to the population. In 2022, the Washington Examiner reported that around 20% of Ivy League students were Asian-American. The reason for this discrepancy dates back centuries, but a main reason could be the “model minority” label placed on affluent east Asians by white supremacists as a means to further discriminate against other people of color. After allowing east asians societal privileges that were not enjoyed by other minority groups, white society painted asians as proof that minorities are not held back by white supremacy in the US. The term “model minority” was coined to insinuate minority groups, especially African-Americans, can overcome years of suppression and continued systematic racism by simply working hard, a statement that is obviously not true (NPR). The status of some Asians have allowed them advantages in society which would justify placing an admissions quota on their population. The problem is that many south and west asians have not shared that same privilege, proving that racial groupings are not always logical.
My ideal affirmative action policy would emphasize the importance of considering a variety of applicant factors, including ethnicity, race, and residence. The policy would make it clear, however, that none of these factors can be isolated, and one’s intersectionality ultimately shapes who they are in the eyes of admission officers. In 1965, when the affirmative action policy was first introduced, race being the predominant factor included in it made sense given the status of immigration and other racial movements taking place in the US. But as our society progresses, so must our policies.
