Colleges’ Affirmative-Action Policies Hurt Asian Students, Reynolds Claims In Speech
The Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department recently criticized college admissions practices that restrict the number of Asian-American applicants being accepted, describing them as "legally and morally wrong". William Bradford Reynolds, who is stepping down from his role after seven years, made these comments at a symposium organized by Democratic senators Paul Simon and Thomas A. Daschle. Reynolds suggested that allegations of such practices by top universities are not entirely baseless, claiming that the rejection of qualified Asian-American applicants is driven by the universities’ affirmative action policies that aim to favor other racial minorities.
Reynolds made these remarks while the Education Department was investigating the admissions practices of Harvard University and UCLA to determine if they were illegally setting quotas to limit the number of Asian-American students. The inquiry was initiated following news reports and complaints from Asian-American groups, according to Lon Anderson, a spokesman for the department. Anderson categorized this review as a routine compliance check by the department’s Office for Civil Rights, adding that it doesn’t necessarily imply that the two universities have violated federal civil rights laws.
However, in a letter sent to Reynolds in October, LeGree S. Daniels, the Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights, used stronger language to describe the investigation. Daniels referred to Harvard and UCLA as being "targeted for investigation of Asian-American admissions practices". Reynolds acknowledged this investigation in his speech, highlighting that the administrative proceedings of the Education Department can lead to legal action by the Justice Department if the findings warrant it. University officials strongly denied the accusations. For instance, a representative from UCLA, where Asian Americans account for 24.7% of the freshman class, denied the existence of admission quotas for ethnic groups, expressing confidence that their practices are not discriminatory. The competition among highly qualified California high school graduates for admission to UCLA and UC Berkeley may have created the perception of unfair treatment among some Asian-American students and their parents, according to Thomas Lifka, the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Academic Services at UCLA.
Similarly, an admissions officer at Harvard, Susie S. Chao, emphasized that the university has no limits on Asian-American admissions. She noted that the percentage of Asian Americans in the freshman class has increased from 8.5% five years ago to 14% this year. Chao also stated that Harvard actively recruits Asian-American students by sending admissions officers to Asian-American communities in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York. However, despite these enrollment increases, some advocacy groups argue that several universities hold Asian-American applicants to a higher standard compared to their white peers. Henry Der, the Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, a San Francisco-based organization, expressed that simply stating a high percentage of Asian-American students on a campus does not impress them. Der also observed that at Harvard, Asian Americans admitted tend to have higher test scores and grades than their white counterparts.
If Harvard and UCLA are found to have violated federal law and fail to take appropriate action, they may risk losing their federal funds, according to Mr. Anderson.
