Asian American Groups Applaud Decision to Uphold Race-Conscious Admissions at Harvard
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Boston, MA – A federal court today ruled to uphold Harvard University’s race-conscious admissions policy in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard. Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) applauds the ruling, which reassures public and private universities across the country that the measured consideration of race in the application process is a valid means of evaluating a student’s qualities and achievements, providing equal opportunity, and ensuring diversity on campus.
“Today’s decision is a critical victory for Asian American students, who benefit from affirmative action and support race-conscious admissions policies,” said Aarti Kohli, executive director of Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus. “While we must do more to ensure that Asian American students do not face unequal opportunities through harassment, stereotyping and language barriers, the use of race-conscious admissions policies — which safeguard against discrimination — is an important step.”
Last year, Advancing Justice, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Lawyers For Civil Rights and pro bono counsel Arnold & Porter filed an amicus brief on behalf of Asian Americans and other students of color at Harvard who support race-conscious admissions. During the three-week trial last October, four of the students testified regarding how they benefited directly from Harvard’s race-conscious admissions process and why the consideration of race in college admissions is a safeguard against racial discrimination.
“As an Asian American, affirmative action helped give me a fair shot in Harvard’s application process,” said Sally Chen, who testified in support of Harvard in the trial last fall. “The court made the right decision for Asian Americans, for diversity in education, and for all of the students like me who believe race is an important part of our identity and something we deserve to be able to share. The fight for racial equity is far from over. I will continue to fight for race-conscious policies on behalf of other Asian American students at Harvard and across other college campuses.”