Trump Takes Interest in Affirmative Action Case by Asian-American Groups

Donald-Trump” by Sebastian Vital licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: LA Times

In the last week, the Trump administration announced that it would be launching investigations into a lawsuit filed a few years ago, at the same time when Joe Zhou – parent of an Asian-American student who was denied admission into Harvard – filed a complaint against Harvard University for discriminating against Asian-Americans, and for setting unusually higher standards for Asians than for other ethnic minorities.

“Maybe now people will finally pay attention to something we Asian Americans have been talking about for so long,” he told LA Times.

Although the lawsuit was filed a number of years ago and Zhou’s son will soon graduate from U.C. Berkeley, he still says that the investigation will be important for the future of Asian-Americans seeking higher education.

But why are these lawsuits getting attention now from the Trump administration?

Education officials say that polls reveal that the values of Asian-Americans frequently line up with those of conservative white groups, and in launching the investigations the Trump administration is seeking to somehow reverse affirmative action.

“This is primarily about conservative leaders protecting the privilege of access to society’s resources and opportunities for certain white constituents,” Ken Forde-Mazrui, a University of Virginia law professor who specializes in race, told LA Times.

Read full story at: LA Times

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