Asian-Americans

To the Editors of the Crimson:

Spencer S. Hsu's article entitled "Asian-American Admissions: Subtle Discrimination Reflected in Admissions" (February 11, 1988) is an emotional outburst that is based upon ill-founded premises and which proposes an illogical solution. Hsu concludes that because admission rates for Asian-Americans are less than that of their white peers, Harvard is guilty of racial discrimination. Although he admits Harvard has no quota system, Hsu claims that Harvard's standard for admission places the "average" Asian-American applicant at a disadvantage, and thus, indirectly practices racial discrimination. Hsu demands that Harvard eliminate this difference in acceptance rates; if this means developing a new set of admission criterion that would favor the "average" Asian-American applicant at the expense of other interest groups, so be it.

Unfortunately, any change in the criterion for admission will cause someone else to cry foul. In Hsu's plan, Harvard would de-emphasize the role of legacy parents and the importance of a strong extracurricular record. However, alumni would obviously balk at their reduced status, and as a future alumnus myself, I too, would support their opposition. And as for reducing the importance of extracurricular activities, to do so would remove the stamp of the Harvard man or woman. Yes, Harvard has stated that it wishes to integrate diverse groups, but its main goal is to educate the most talented individuals--talent, according to its own definition. Harvard is a private university and has established its own criterion for admission in order to make itself distinct from other schools such as CalTech, Dartmouth, or M.I.T.

Certainly, Harvard discriminates. Every year, thousands of applicants are denied admission. However, the important question is whether Harvard's standards for admission unduly places Asian-Americans at a disadvantage. The admissions office has assured us that Harvard has no quota system and Hsu himself agrees to this fact. As for participating in extracurricular activities, there is no reason why Asian-American high school students are at a disadvantage to their peers.

For Hsu to accuse Harvard of racial discrimination, with all the ugly baggage that accompanies the word, is grossly unfair. Harvard's primary goal is to develop talent in its many forms; it is not to develop equal admission rates. If Hsu truly wishes to help Asian American students gain entrance into Harvard, I suggest he start by taking his mind off the different acceptance rates and instead go out and absorb this campus. For until he understands what makes Harvard Harvard, his efforts to increase the Asian American acceptance rate will be futile. David G. Yu '88