Chinese 中文

As individuals and more than 135 organizations across the United States that serve and represent Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities, we believe that equal opportunity is a cherished principle in American society that must be protected. Our universities should reflect our diverse democracy and expand opportunities for those students who have overcome significant barriers. Rather than letting ourselves be divided, we must come together to ensure increased opportunities and success for all students.

Affirmative action does not constitute quotas

Unfortunately, there have been attempts by some to engage in divisive wedge politics by using misguided, misleading tactics to attack equal opportunity by calling for an end to race sensitive admissions policies at educational institutions such as Harvard University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Opponents of affirmative action have wrongfully and disingenuously equated affirmative action with quotas.

The truth is that affirmative action does not constitute quotas.

Affirmative action does not exclude or limit the admission of students from any specific racial or ethnic background. Indeed, the United States Supreme Court long ago prohibited quotas in the higher education admissions process, including banning limits on the admission or enrollment of any racial or ethnic group.

To be clear, we oppose quotas, discrimination, and bias against any racial or ethnic group.

Affirmative action promotes equal opportunity for all

We support affirmative action which, as noted above, does not constitute quotas, discrimination, or bias against Asian Americans.

Currently, affirmative action at universities consists of race sensitive holistic admissions policies. These policies promote equal opportunity in a society where racism still exists and racial barriers continue to unfairly limit educational opportunities for students of color. For example, our schools are more segregated today than they were in the late 1960s. Students of color, particularly African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Southeast Asians, are much more likely to attend under-resourced K-12 schools. Implicit bias and stereotyping also further impact and harm the educational learning environments and opportunities of students of color. Universities should consider these factors when reviewing applications for admissions.

All students benefit from the racially and ethnically diverse learning environments fostered by race sensitive holistic admissions processes, including the benefits of increased cross-racial understanding, reduction of stereotyping and isolation of minority students, and training for a diverse workforce and society.

Affirmative action simply takes into account whether an applicant has overcome significant obstacles and institutional barriers, such as racial and ethnic discrimination

Affirmative action simply takes into account whether an applicant has overcome racial and ethnic adversity as one of several factors in a holistic review of an applicant’s qualifications, leadership, and potential. Holistic admissions processes also consider, for example, whether an applicant has endured poverty or is the first in her family to attend college.

Moreover, in the context of college admissions, “merit” cannot be quantified by grade point average, SAT scores, or number of activities alone. Instead, life experiences such as overcoming racial and ethnic adversity are critical factors in a student’s leadership and potential contribution to the university and to our society. In addition, numbers, like grade point averages and standardized test scores, are not colorblind and often reflect and magnify K-12 educational inequities.

Equal opportunity strengthens our democracy

Affirmative action policies help to level the playing field and promote diverse university learning environments that are essential in our multiracial and multicultural society. Our democracy benefits from a diverse and educated populace and workforce.

Those who are truly committed to equal educational opportunity should demonstrate real leadership and reinvest in higher education throughout the nation to expand access, affordability, equity, and student success. Decades of disinvestment in higher education across the country have made college less accessible for all students, especially students of color. We call for unity in standing up for the future of our youth and realizing the promise of equal opportunity for all in the United States.

Signed by the following organizations:

18 Million Rising

American Educational Research Association: Research on the Education of Asian and Pacific Americans, Special Interest Group

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – ALC

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Chicago

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles

After Bruce

Ainahau O Kaleponi Hawaiian Civic Club

Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment

Anakbayan Inland Empire

Anakbayan Los Angeles

Angry Asian Man

API Equality – Northern California

API Equality – Los Angeles

Arab American Action Network (AAAN)

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles

Asian American Intervarsity Fellowship

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)

Asian American and Pacific Islander Research Coalition (ARC)

Asian American Psychological Association – Boston

Asian American Psychological Association – Phoenix

Asian American Student Union of UMD

Asian American Student Union of Scripps College

Asian and Latino Community Services, Inc.

Asian Counseling and Referral Service

Asian Law Alliance

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Los Angeles Chapter

Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center

Asian Pacific American Network

Asian Pacific Americans for Action (APAA) at Cornell University

Asian Pacific Americans for Progress

Asian Pacific American Student Alliance, Rice University

Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance

Asian Pacific Coalition at UCLA

Asian Pacific Environmental Network

Asian Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance

Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council: A3PCON

Asian Resources, Inc.

Asian Student Conference

Asian Students in America (ASIA), Syracuse University

Asian Students in America (ASIA), University of Southern Florida

ASPIRE-LA

CAACTUS: Asian Student Alliance, University of Denver

CAAAV-Organizing Asian Communities

California Federation of Teachers

CHAI | Counselors Helping (South) Asian/Indians, Inc.

Chapman University Asian Pacific Student Association

Chinese American Service League

Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles

Chinese for Affirmative Action

Chinese Progressive Association – San Francisco

Coalition of API American Collaborating Together to Unite the Southwest (CAACTUS)

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community

Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

Daiso Japan

East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU)

Educated Men with Meaningful Messages

Empowering Pacific Islander Communities

Equal Justice Society

EskinaEksena

Families in Good Health

Filipino Advocates for Justice

Filipino Migrant Center

Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries

GABRIELA Los Angeles

GenEq

Guam Communications Network

Habi Arts

Hamline University

Hmong American Partnership

Hmong Health Collaborative

Hmong National Development, Inc.

Hmong Women’s Heritage Association

Hyphen magazine

Japanese American Citizens League

K-12 News Network

K.W Lee Center for Leadership

Khmer Girls in Action

Korean American Resource and Cultural Center – Chicago

Korean-American Student Association of Florida State University

Korean Resource Center – Los Angeles

Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance

Lao Family Community Empowerment, Inc.

Laotian American National Alliance (LANA)

Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc.

Little Tokyo Roots

Little Tokyo Service Center CDC

Marshallese Educational Initiative

May Day Trans Queer Contingent

Merced Lao Family Community, Inc.

Midwest Asian American Students Union

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium

Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Alliance

New York City Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC)

Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR)

Northwestern University Asian Pacific American Coalition

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates

OCA – Eastern Virginia Chapter

OCA – Greater Los Angeles

OCA – Las Vegas

OCA – Sacramento

Office of Institutional Diversity, Harvey Mudd College

Pacific Islanders’ Association of California State University, Long Beach

Pacific Islander Health Partnership (PIHP)

Papa Ola Lokahi

Philippine American Association of Utah

Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California

Pilipino Academic Student Services (PASS)

Polynesian Community Center – Alaska

QAPA: Queer API Alliance of New England

REACH

Reappropriate

South Asian American Voices For Impact (SAAVI)

Samoan American Youth of Orange County

SEARAC – Southeast Asia Resource Action Center

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)

South Asian American Policy & Research Institute (SAAPRI)

South Asian Helpline & Referral Agency (SAHARA)

South Asian Network

Southeast Asian Coalition

Southeast Asian Community Alliance

Student Coalition for Asian Pacific Empowerment of University of Southern California

SUNY Albany Asian American Alliance

Tafesilafa’i

Taulama for Tongans

Teach for America

The Center for APA Women

Tuesday Night Project

UCLA Center for EthnoCommunications

UMD AASU

UNITED SIKHS

United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)

USC Asian Pacific American Student Services

USC Haneulsori

West Coast Asian Pacific Islander Student Union (WCAPSU)

List of supporters as of 5/14/15; click here for an updated list.