Father of Google teen engineer rejected by multiple universities slams DEI

Palo Alto father Nan Zhong, who has sued multiple universities for allegedly racially discriminating against his son Stanley, has criticized DEI initiatives as becoming “a cure worse than the disease” in a recent op-ed.

The Zhongs have filed lawsuits against institutions including the University of California system, University of Washington, University of Michigan and Cornell, alleging discrimination against Asian Americans in admissions. Their case centers on Stanley who, despite a 1590 SAT score and impressive technical achievements that earned him a PhD-level position at Google, was rejected by 16 colleges. The universities, on the other hand, have retained top legal firms, with UC reportedly retaining WilmerHale, the same firm that defended Harvard University in the landmark case it lost at the Supreme Court in 2023.

In his May 12 op-ed for Minding The Campus, Zhong draws parallels between current campus politics and China’s Cultural Revolution, which he experienced firsthand. “I was born during China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1970s, and it’s uncanny to see some of the same tactics reemerging in America half a century later,” he recalls.

Zhong goes on to deliver a sharp critique of DEI initiatives, writing that while they may have begun with a “noble goal,” in practice they “often reduce people to their skin color and treat them accordingly, leading not to diversity, equity, and inclusion, but to division, exclusion, and ultimately, insanity.” He also discusses what he sees as a resurgence of Marxism on college campuses and criticizes universities’ “intellectual dishonesty” in repurposing terms like “affirmative action.” Harvard, he writes, is “a textbook example of hypocrisy” for maintaining legacy admissions while claiming to champion social justice.

Asked what he thought about concerns that challenging race-conscious admissions might reinforce the “model minority” stereotype, Zhong tells NextShark, “Part of the ‘model minority’ stereotype comes from the perception that Asian Americans do not complain or protest. I think fighting this battle would combat that part of the stereotype.” He points to the Constitution’s promise of equal protection “on an individual basis, not based on group identity,” adding that he hopes Asian American youth “do not become burdened with ‘being too Asian.'”

He also advises, “Be themselves, pursue their passion, do great work and help others. Their dreams are American dreams too.”

As for their legal strategy, Zhong believes their AI-assisted approach has been effective. “It is funny that they are pulling out the big legal guns to battle two pro se litigants,” he notes.

He agrees that AI could democratize access to legal recourse. “We are in uncharted territory. The fact that the universities have enlisted top-tier legal representation clearly indicates the gravity they assign to these lawsuits,” Zhong tells NextShark. “I certainly hope AI levels the playing field for pro se litigants like me when challenging powerful institutions. The only way to find out is to act.”