For Immediate Release
May 28, 2018
On May 22, 2018, the President of the Asian American Coalition for Education (AACE), Mr. Yukong Zhao, joined a panel to discuss Dr. Althea Nagai’s latest report titled “‘Too many Asians?’ Affirmative Discrimination in Elite College Admissions”. The panel was jointly organized by the Federalist Society and the Center for Equal Opportunity, in Washington D.C..
Dr. Nagai’s study finds strong evidence of discrimination against Asian Americans in Harvard and MIT. This report explains a systematic mismatch between growth in the Asian American population and their stagnating admissions at top universities. The Asian American portion of MIT undergraduates has stayed flat at below 29% since 1995, while it experienced a drop from 21% in 1993 to 17% in 2015 at Harvard. The disparity is attributed to systematic discrimination against Asian American applicants during admissions. Namely, MIT employs race as a factor, whereas Harvard considers both race and legacy status. Historically, Asian American students must score an additional 140, 270, and 450 points to match the admission probability of Caucasians, Hispanics, and African Americans, respectively, ceteris paribus.
AACE commends Dr. Nagai’s critical research. Unearthing admission data from MIT and Harvard, the report identifies an insurmountable ceiling for Asian Americans seeking prestigious education, when they are denied admission for simply being Asian. Similar research is needed to expose structural issues of social injustice, pertaining to negative educational prospects for Asian Americans.
The use of de facto racial quotas, higher standards, and stereotypes is unlawful violation of the U.S Supreme Court rulings since 1978. Mr. Zhao pointed out, “Selective universities’ blatant discrimination against Asian American students is also immoral. Our children should not have to conceal their heritage in college applications in order to pursue their American dreams. Hard-working and multifariously proficient, they are as deserving as others in their pursuits of higher education opportunities. With outstanding academic credentials, many Asian American students are helping address the STEM shortage plaguing America. They should be welcomed by American universities, instead of being limited because of hidden racial quotas. The racial quota and higher admission standards have caused unbearable study load for Asian American children, which leads to high rates of depression and even suicides in some cases. This needs to stop!”
MEDIA CONTACT: Mr. Raymond Wong, telephone: (646) 853-0928, email: [email protected].
About the AACE: www.asianamericanforeducation.org
The Asian American Coalition for Education (“AACE”) is a non-political, non-profit, national organization devoted to promoting equal rights for Asian-Americans in education and education-related activities. It is a grass-roots organization established by Asian-American parents. In May 2015, the founders of AACE united more than 60 Asian-American organizations to file a complaint with the Department of Justice and the Department of Education regarding Harvard University’s discriminatory treatment of Asian American applicants. It was one of the largest joint actions ever taken by Asian American organizations in pursuit of equal education rights and is currently under the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.