Editorial Fails to Capture Nuances of Affirmative Action

To the editors:



The editorial “On Asian-American Admissions” (Nov. 20), has several problems in its attempt to justify the difficulties Asian-Americans face in college admissions.

First, the editorial mentions how affirmative action policies “forgive” lower levels of “academic success” for underrepresented minorities in college admissions. While this might be a valid explanation for why Asian-Americans are held to higher academic standards than other minorities, it fails to explain why Asian Americans are held to higher academic standards than white students. For example, the editorial even cites how at the University of Michigan, “the median [SAT] test score for Asian students…was 50 points higher than the median score for white students.”

Secondly, the editorial argues that college admissions are not solely dependent on quantifiable factors like SAT scores. Few people would disagree with this. However, the editorial states that colleges are “searching for students who will be leaders in all spheres of the world” and have “Leadership qualities, extracurricular involvement, [and] achievement outside of the classroom”. Juxtaposing these statements with a discussion on the discrepancy Asian-Americans face in college admissions implies (intentionally or not) that Asian-American students lack leadership qualities and non-academic pursuits. Such a misconception is an example of an unfortunate stereotype that is easily disproved when looking around at the active role of Asian-Americans on campus.

Finally, it’s important to note that Asian-Americans include a wide spectrum of groups, from S Asians to Central Asians, not all of which fit the authors’ idea of high-achieving students. Each of these groups face unique challenges in college admissions.

The editorial does not present a satisfactory explanation of why Asian-Americans face higher college admissions standards and perpetuates certain stereotypes. After casting aside these stereotypes, it’s difficult to justify the status quo the editorial defends.



LUYI ZHAO ’10

November 22, 2006