The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling against the use of race as a factor in college admissions has ignited a heated debate on the merits of affirmative action and its impact on different racial groups.
Ending affirmative action: In a 6-3 decision on Thursday, the Court declared that such policies of Harvard College and the University of North Carolina violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.
The decision, which is expected to impact campuses nationwide, prompted both celebration and criticism from various sectors.
“A big day”: Among those who celebrated the ruling was activist Yiatin Chu, president of the Asian Wave Alliance, who described the decision as a “big day” and a victory for equal treatment at major universities.
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“I told my daughter that today is a big day. They’ve ended affirmative action. ‘Isn’t it what you’re been fighting for?’ she asked. I said yes,” she wrote.
“Racist decision”: While Chu’s sentiments were echoed by others in the community, several prominent Asian Americans also voiced their disagreement with the ruling and criticized those celebrating it.
Former New York State Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou called it “one of the worst and most racist decisions ever made” in a tweet quoting Chu’s post and called its celebration “a look.”
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Meanwhile, actor and rights advocate George Takei mocked Chu in his tweet.
“Congratulations. You have ASS: Asian Sucker Syndrome,” he said.
Aiding “white supremacy”: Other prominent figures who blasted Chu for supporting the ruling include HBO correspondent Soledad O’Brien and The Atlantic writer Jemele Hill.
In her tweet, O’Brien accused Chu of “screwing over” other people of color, suggesting that the civil rights efforts of previous generations had paved the way for individuals like Chu.
“Congrats on screwing over other people of color, ma’am! (Particularly those whose efforts in civil rights paved the way for your family to come to America!)” she wrote.
Hill claimed that by praising the ruling, Chu was unwittingly furthering white supremacy.
“Can’t wait until she reads that you gladly carried the water for white supremacy and stabbed the folks in the back whose people fought diligently for Asian American rights in America,” Hill tweeted.
Accusations of discrimination: The cases that led to the ruling originated from accusations of discrimination against Asian American students by the nonprofit group Students for Fair Admissions.
In the group’s complaints filed in 2014, it alleged that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are holding Asian American students to a higher standard compared to their Black or Hispanic counterparts due to affirmative action policies.
In the majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court emphasized the need for focused and measurable objectives in affirmative action policies.
