Coalition of Asian American Student Organizations denounces SCOTUS affirmative action ruling in letter
August 7, 2023
The Coalition of Asian American Student Organizations (CAASO) released a letter expressing its opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision to ban affirmative action.
The letter: Published online in Teen Vogue on Monday, the letter disputes claims that race-based admissions policies are discriminatory towards Asian American applicants.
“Race-conscious admissions benefit all marginalized groups, including Asian Americans,” the letter reads. “Affirmative action policies particularly assist Asian applicants from low-income and underrepresented ethnic backgrounds.”
Background: The Supreme Court ruled on June 29 that race-based admissions for programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina were unconstitutional, effectively ending affirmative action in the U.S.
In direct response to the court’s decision, the coalition emphasized the “widespread opposition” to the ruling and “nationwide solidarity” that students of various backgrounds have expressed in recent months.
Asians are not a monolith: The coalition also points out that the variety of underrepresented groups that fall under the broad Asian American label, which includes “Hmong, Vietnamese, Filipino, Laotian, Bhutanese, Burmese, Mongolian, and Cambodian Americans,” do not share the same experiences as Chinese, Korean, Indian and Japanese Americans.
Noting the advantages that more exclusive and elite universities afford their students, the coalition empathizes with Asian Americans who oppose affirmative action, but also notes that quality education should be accessible for all rather than a competition in which students are blamed for “stealing spots.”
The letter’s signees: Organizations that signed the letter include:
- Amherst College Asian and Pacific American Action Committee
- Brown University/Rhode Island School of Design Asian American Political Alliance
- Boston University Asian Student Union
- Columbia Asian American Alliance
- Dartmouth Asian American Studies Collective
- Georgetown Asian American Student Association
- Georgia Tech Asian American Student Association
- Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Association
- Johns Hopkins University Inter-Asian Council
- Princeton Asian American Students Association
- Stanford Asian American Activism Committee
- Stony Brook Asian Students Alliance
- University of North Carolina Asian American Students Association
- University of Pennsylvania Asian Pacific Student Coalition
- Washington University in St. Louis Asians Demanding Justice
- Yale Asian American Students Alliance
Ongoing efforts: “This ruling does not mark the end of our efforts to ensure racial equity in higher education. Our organizations, now and always, will advocate for diversity and cross-racial solidarity. In doing so, we hope to honor the culture of collectivism and care that defines our heritage. We stand with all students of color, united against injustice,” CAASO closed the letter.
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