Today’s New York Times highlighted the obstacles that Asian-Americans face in getting admitted to the finest academic institutions in our country. In my judgment, the discrimination against Asian Americans is totally unwarranted and reveals deep-seated ignorance by our universities. To me, it is no more laudatory to punish Asian Americans that it was to uphold segregation. Discrimination against Asian Americans is denying these people basic civil rights. That is your race and ethnicity should not be held against you.

Let me highlight my perspective

  1. Asians represent a heterogeneous group of people who live some thousands of miles apart. Asians have different physical features, cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs, and languages. Stated differently, can you imagine grouping Americans, Mexicans, and Canadians? Of course not! Thus, in admitting students with lower academic and other credentials rather that Asians is pure racial prejudice that ultimately undermines the goal of our society to reward meritocracy.
  2. The idea that one learns from diversity has some merit, but not at the expense of punishing not only hard working students but their parents who frequently have sacrificed so much for the betterment of their children. On a personal basis, my learning came from paying to attention to the smartest students or investment bankers—not seeking out somebody who happens to be diverse.
  3. Asian Americans have now brought suit against Harvard, arguing that their admissions process amounts to an illegal quota system. Other suits have been initiated against the University of North Carolina and the University of Texas
  4. A Princeton study found that that students who identify as Asian need to score 140 points higher on the SAT than whites to have the same chance of admission to private colleges.
  5. Sadly, the Supreme Court upheld a University of Texas admission that allowed race and ethnicity to be considered as one of many factors in admission. My bet is that race and ethnicity are very heavily considered.
  6. Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard Professor, said “ the idea of discriminating against Asians in order to make room for other minorities does not seem right as a matter of principle.
  7. In 1920, Harvard took measures against Jews because Jews represented 20% of their freshman class
  8. In the famous Supreme Court case, University of California v Bakke, the Supreme Court by a 5-4 decision ruled that a university’s use of racial quotas was unconstitutional. In review the facts, out of a total score of 100, African-Americans were arbitrarily given 20 points. Alternatively, the average score on the medical issues, the accepted minority students were 50 points below the other students. How would you like to put your life on the line for a doctor whose score was so low?

Originally published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune