Asian American Race-Based Complaint Against Harvard Dismissed

[Kaleidoscope]

Asian American Race-Based Complaint Against Harvard Dismissed

 

by CHRIS FUCHS

 

The United States Department of Education has dismissed a complaint filed in May by a coalition of more than 60 Asian-American groups accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asian Americans and other ethnicities and races in its admissions process.

 

The complaint, made by the Asian American Coalition, was closed on June 3 because of an on-going lawsuit filed in November by Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. that lodges the same accusations against Harvard University, a U.S. Department of Education spokesman told NBC News in an email Tuesday.

 

Yukong Zhao, one of the chief organizers of the coalition that sent the complaint, said he was undaunted by the U.S. Department of Education's decision.

 

"We are going to continue to pursue our equal education rights," Zhao told NBC News. "We have a lot of other options, and we are not going to be slowed by this."

 

Related: Coalition Sues Harvard Over Alleged Admission Racial Quotas

 

In May, the Asian American Coalition filed complaints with both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice, asking that they require Harvard to "immediately cease and desist from using racial quota or racial balancing" to admit students, and to "ensure that Harvard and other Ivy League schools will never again discriminate against Asian Americans or applicants of any other races."

 

This was not the first time Harvard has been accused of using race in its admissions process. As evidence of bias, some have argued that the number of Asian-American students admitted annually has not kept pace with an overall increase in the Asian-American population. But others, including Khin Mai Aung, formerly of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, have said the accusation that Harvard uses quotas is one not rooted in fact.

 

Harvard University said in a statement Wednesday that Harvard College has a strong track-record of both recruiting and admitting Asian Americans to its school. Over the last decade, the percentage of admitted Asian Americans has increased from 17.6 percent to 21 percent, the statement said.

 

Among the 2,048 students admitted to the class of 2018, 20 percent were Asian, 13 percent Hispanic, 12 percent black and 2 percent Native American or Pacific Islander, according to the college's admissions statistics.

 

"Harvard College strongly believes that a class that is diverse on multiple dimensions, including on race and ethnicity, transforms the educational experience of students from every background and prepares our graduates for an increasingly pluralistic world," the school said.

 

Betty Hung, policy director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a civil rights group, said she welcomed news that the U.S. Department of Education had closed the complaint against Harvard, but added that she remained troubled over the lawsuit's intent to end affirmative action at Harvard and other American universities.

 

"Affirmative action policies help to level the playing field and to promote diverse university learning environments that are essential in our multiracial and multicultural society," Hung, a 1993 Harvard College graduate, told NBC News in an email.

 

Harvard did not respond to a request seeking comment Tuesday. In a written statement in May, Harvard University General Counsel Robert Iuliano said the school's admissions policies were "fully compliant with the law." He added that Harvard College has a strong track-record of both recruiting and admitting Asian Americans to its school, with the percentage of admitted Asian Americans increasing from 17.6 percent to 21 percent in the last decade.

 

 

source: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/asian-american-race-based-complaint-against-harvard-dismissed-n388576

[Hizu]

And suddenly if Asians, Hispanics or black people don't pass, the school becomes racist...

[Deâ„“phina]

Always said that affirmative action was a bad thing. 

[abra]

I can't say I agree with affirmative action so I wouldn't mind them succeeding but at the same time I doubt it'll happen

[BeachAngel]

Well I got denied from Harvard so... Fuck them

[kpopluveer]

Always said that affirmative action was a bad thing. 

The only group affirmative action is "bad" for is white people, the supermajority in the education system. It helps everyone else who wants to go to college.

 

Sure, it's not a perfect system and yeah, some people get screwed in the process, but the amount of people it has helped is totally worth it, in my eyes.

[*lesigh*]

Harvard actually has a pretty damn good diversity rate, why are we accusing them of being racist? The system isn't broke, why are we trying to fix it?

 

This is exactly what I mean when I say people desperately want to feel "oppressed" so they can use their race, gender, etc. as an excuse when things don't go their way. Have you ever thought that maybe you didn't get into that college you wanted because you weren't as qualified? The affirmative action actually helps you, because it means that a more-qualified white person might get turned down because they need a diverse group of students. Overall, Harvard is damn hard to get into and everyone knows it. Everyone of every race gets denied, this college has a 5.9% acceptance rate ffs.

[Deâ„“phina]

The only group affirmative action is "bad" for is white people, the supermajority in the education system. It helps everyone else who wants to go to college.

 

Sure, it's not a perfect system and yeah, some people get screwed in the process, but the amount of people it has helped is totally worth it, in my eyes.

No, it is bad because it disadvantages perfectly qualified students on the basis of something as irrelevant as race. A rich black student gets benefits over a middle-class white/Asian kid. 

 

I mean have you looked at the profile of the average Black kid accepted and the one of the average Asian kid accepted ? There is obviously something wrong with the system if one race has an average acceptance SAT score lower by 200+ than the other. 

Being just born Black doesn't make you more diverse than the majority  it's how you were raised, the obstacles you encountered in life that set you apart. And that has nothing to do with your melanin levels. 

 

Harvard actually has a pretty damn good diversity rate, why are we accusing them of being racist? The system isn't broke, why are we trying to fix it?

 

This is exactly what I mean when I say people desperately want to feel "oppressed" so they can use their race, gender, etc. as an excuse when things don't go their way. Have you ever thought that maybe you didn't get into that college you wanted because you weren't as qualified? The affirmative action actually helps you, because it means that a more-qualified white person might get turned down because they need a diverse group of students. Overall, Harvard is damn hard to get into and everyone knows it. Everyone of every race gets denied, this college has a 5.9% acceptance rate ffs.

 

How is that a good thing ?  

And btw, the acceptance rate of top colleges is kind of a scam. Because there is no standard set in stone for acceptance, a bunch of obviously unqualified students apply for the heck of it, thus artificially lowering the rate. 

[*lesigh*]

No, it is bad because it disadvantages perfectly qualified students on the basis of something as irrelevant as race. A rich black student gets benefits over a middle-class white/Asian kid. 

 

I mean have you looked at the profile of the average Black kid accepted and the one of the average Asian kid accepted ? There is obviously something wrong with the system if one race has an average acceptance SAT score lower by 200+ than the other. 

Being just born Black doesn't make you more diverse than the majority  it's how you were raised, the obstacles you encountered in life that set you apart. And that has nothing to do with your melanin levels. 

 

 

How is that a good thing ?

And btw, the acceptance rate of top colleges is kind of a scam. Because there is no standard set in stone for acceptance, a bunch of obviously unqualified students apply for the heck of it, thus artificially lowering the rate. 

 

Exactly. It's not entirely a good thing, but the thing is if that college is just filled with white people even if they were picked solely on qualification they'll get accused of being racist and that's not something they want.

[imideal( ͡°ᴥ ͡° ʋ)]

The numbers do not lie.

 

Asian and White applicants have higher SATs and GPAs that get into Harvard compared to Hispanic and Black applicants.

[Deâ„“phina]

Exactly. It's not entirely a good thing, but the thing is if that college is just filled with white people even if they were picked solely on qualification they'll get accused of being racist and that's not something they want.

 

Actually, if solely picked on qualifications without consideration for ethnicity, a college will be filled with Asians and foreigners. Case point 1 : UC schools. 

[kpopluveer]

No, it is bad because it disadvantages perfectly qualified students on the basis of something as irrelevant as race. A rich black student gets benefits over a middle-class white/Asian kid. 

 

I mean have you looked at the profile of the average Black kid accepted and the one of the average Asian kid accepted ? There is obviously something wrong with the system if one race has an average acceptance SAT score lower by 200+ than the other. 

Being just born Black doesn't make you more diverse than the majority  it's how you were raised, the obstacles you encountered in life that set you apart. And that has nothing to do with your melanin levels. 

 

Rich students don't get benefits at all! AA programs help those with financial needs. Also, I really don't appreciate how you are making it seem like Black people are the only people getting helped and that they don't have to do anything to get in, just be black. Universities still abide by general admissions qualifications. They don't let in minorities that they would not let in under any other circumstances.

 

Plus, AA programs have different levels. The higher your gpa and test scores are, the more money you get. Also, AA only pays for tuition. Not books, housing, transportation. So people on AA don't just get a free trip.

 

And if you want to talk about culture and experience, there were universities in the US that were still segregated not even 50 years ago. That's my parents age. So i'm sorry that you feel minorities don't need help to get into colleges that never used to except them before.

 

This is something kinda close to home for me because the only way I'm able to go to college now is because of a diversity scholarship. I have a high enough GPA, so my tuition is paid for, but I still have to pay for everything else.

[*lesigh*]

Actually, if solely picked on qualifications without consideration for ethnicity, a college will be filled with Asians and foreigners. Case point 1 : UC schools. 

 

Exactly. But I'm just saying, people don't want to get rid of the affirmative action because they think that colleges won't let minorities in the colleges because "they want to be racist!@@!!!~!!!!11!" And in some cases, they are correct. Which is why I'm for this system. But if this wouldn't be an issue I see no problem with getting rid of the affirmative action.

[Deâ„“phina]

Rich students don't get benefits at all! AA programs help those with financial needs. Also, I really don't appreciate how you are making it seem like Black people are the only people getting helped and that they don't have to do anything to get in, just be black. Universities still abide by general admissions qualifications. They don't let in minorities that they would not let in under any other circumstances.

 

Plus, AA programs have different levels. The higher your gpa and test scores are, the more money you get. Also, AA only pays for tuition. Not books, housing, transportation. So people on AA don't just get a free trip.

 

And if you want to talk about culture and experience, there were universities in the US that were still segregated not even 50 years ago. That's my parents age. So i'm sorry that you feel minorities don't need help to get into colleges that never used to except them before.

 

This is something kinda close to home for me because the only way I'm able to go to college now is because of a diversity scholarship. I have a high enough GPA, so my tuition is paid for, but I still have to pay for everything else.

 

You don't even know what you are talking about. AA isn't some sort of scholarship : it is giving preferential treatment to under-represented minorities (i.e. Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans) or URM regardless of financial background during college admissions, jobs...

[kpopluveer]

You don't even know what you are talking about. AA isn't some sort of scholarship : it is giving preferential treatment to under-represented minorities (i.e. Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans) or URM regardless of financial background during college admissions, jobs...

In institutions of higher education, affirmative action refers to policies that provide equal access to education for those groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented, such as women and minorities.

 

^^^ This is what it is. It is called "action" because it is active policies that Universities must implement to level the playing field of education. It isn't just admissions. The reason most people dislike AA isn't even because of admissions, it's because of how much money scholarships and diversity programs cost.

[Deâ„“phina]

 

In institutions of higher education, affirmative action refers to policies that provide equal access to education for those groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented, such as women and minorities.

 

^^^ This is what it is. It is called "action" because it is active policies that Universities must implement to level the playing field of education. It isn't just admissions. The reason most people dislike AA isn't even because of admissions, it's because of how much money scholarships and diversity programs cost.

 

We're talking about Harvard, and that's not how it works there. There are no racially-based scholarships. AA is solely applicable to admissions. 

[kpopluveer]

We're talking about Harvard, and that's not how it works there. There are no racially-based scholarships. AA is solely applicable to admissions. 

 

Actually, in 2011, Harvard implemented diversity scholarships.

 

But back to the point of admissions! Like I said before, colleges, especially like Harvard, don't let just anyone in because of race. Those people earn it, even if they have a little bit of help. I don't think we should discount their achievements by saying "they only got in because they're black/latino/asian/" etc...

[Deâ„“phina]

Actually, in 2011, Harvard implemented diversity scholarships.

 

But back to the point of admissions! Like I said before, colleges, especially like Harvard, don't let just anyone in because of race. Those people earn it, even if they have a little bit of help. I don't think we should discount their achievements by saying "they only got in because they're black/latino/asian/" etc...

Harvard College financial aid is a 100% based on your estimated need, regardless of ethnicity, gender and even citizenship. All other scholarships are from outside organizations. 

 

No one is discounting their achievements, but a lot (not all) did get in only because they were URM. Have they been Asian, they wouldn't have been accepted. That also applies to other shortcuts for admissions, like recruited athletes and legacy students. 

[stargazer]

I'm not a fan of affirmative action. Even when black people do have high GPAs and SAT mark's people assume that they do not. I also agree that it is not fair that some people take the spot over other ethnic groups just because of their race.
Also White people make up a majority of the student body at Hardvard so if anyone's is taking spots for Asian kids it is them.

From what I've seen so far, affirmative action barely even works. Over a third of the black student body in Harvard are not even from America but from Africa so the whole point of AA is lost.

[......]

*I walk outside apartment on typical day*

 

*see roughly 2000 different Yale students on average *

 

*Counts black students* "1-2-3-4-5---10" (maybe)

*Counts Latino/Hispanic looking students* "1-2-3-4-5---20" (roughly)

 

*Walks past Native America Culture Centre*

*Counts 2*

 

*Counts 'Indian' students* "1-2-3-4-5------200"

 

*Don't bother counting Asian or white students...would take all day*

 

*Walk back to my apartment building. Pass frats*

*Note they are all Asian and/or White*

 

*Enter my apartment building*

*Nod to my white and Asian grad student neighbours as we pass on the stairs and in the hall*

 

......

 

Doubt Harvard looks much different than that....

what are we complaining about actually???

[Sasshi]

*I walk outside apartment on typical day*

 

*see roughly 2000 different Yale students on average *

 

*Counts black students* "1-2-3-4-5---10" (maybe)

*Counts Latino/Hispanic looking students* "1-2-3-4-5---20" (roughly)

 

*Walks past Native America Culture Centre*

*Counts 2*

 

*Counts 'Indian' students* "1-2-3-4-5------200"

 

*Don't bother counting Asian or white students...would take all day*

 

*Walk back to my apartment building. Pass frats*

*Note they are all Asian and/or White*

 

*Enter my apartment building*

*Nod to my white and Asian grad student neighbours as we pass on the stairs and in the hall*

 

......

 

Doubt Harvard looks much different than that....

what are we complaining about actually???

 

Then Hispanics(I'm one) and black people should try to better their life and stop acting lie victims... if they continue to be like that they will continue to live the way they do and things wont change.

[......]

Then Hispanics(I'm one) and black people should try to better their life and stop acting lie victims... if they continue to be like that they will continue to live the way they do and things wont change.

 

....pretty sure that's what they are doing.... by getting Ivy League educations...

[CareBear08]

 

In institutions of higher education, affirmative action refers to policies that provide equal access to education for those groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented, such as women and minorities.

 

^^^ This is what it is. It is called "action" because it is active policies that Universities must implement to level the playing field of education. It isn't just admissions. The reason most people dislike AA isn't even because of admissions, it's because of how much money scholarships and diversity programs cost.

 

I'm glad that you said that AA is for women and minorities. When people think of Affirmative Action, all they think about is African Americans, not thinking how it's designed to help those who are not as well.

 

....pretty sure that's what they are doing.... by getting Ivy League educations...

^

[21jumpstreet]

The only group affirmative action is "bad" for is white people, the supermajority in the education system. It helps everyone else who wants to go to college.

 

Sure, it's not a perfect system and yeah, some people get screwed in the process, but the amount of people it has helped is totally worth it, in my eyes.

 

Not, asians are heavily penalised by it. And it necessarily screw as many as it helps since every person that the quotas helped took the spot of someone with better results.

 

In fact it is very unfair given that education is mainly financed through local taxes in the US, so basically poor whites, who have crap schools and are discriminated at university entrance, pay the price of other white people 'privilege' while well-off black kids benefit from other black people poverty. 

 

And that's why it fails to reduce the gap in education between black and white : it does not benefit/penalise the right people. If they made a policy based on poverty, or reduced gap in pre-university education though non-local funding, they would reduce racial gap without being racist.

[Haus of Tzu:Lai]

Wouldn't be surprised if most, if not all, well-sought after Western universities have some sort of 'unwritten' quota in place, otherwise it will be full of Asians/overseas (mainland Chinese) students.