Committee of 100 voices its support for university admissions processes that consider each student holistically, including life experiences, accomplishments, and racial background, to create the richest educational experience for all
NEW YORK, NY (October 31, 2022) — With the U.S. Supreme Court set to hear separate oral arguments on the Harvard University and University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill cases, Committee of 100, a non-profit leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans, voices its support for the continuation of race-conscious, inclusive admissions policies, in accordance with legal guidelines previously issued by the U.S. Supreme Court.
For centuries, American universities have discriminated against minorities and women. Only in recent decades have we, as a nation, started to correct this inequity. Race-conscious admissions policies have played a significant role in the increased number of Chinese American students in American colleges over recent decades. Beginning in the late 1960s and 1970s, Asian Americans were designated beneficiaries of affirmative action and actively recruited by elite universities. From 1994 to 2018, the percentage of Asian Americans enrolled in American colleges and universities increased from 7% to 19%.(1) We have made notable progress, but many Asian American students upon graduation still face significant career ceilings due to racial and ethnic discrimination and stereotypes. Narrowly tailored legal efforts to expand access are still needed to counter both overt and hidden systemic biases.
We must not allow the current litigation before the Court to drive apart the Chinese American or broader minority communities. We must stand with each other as we have on issues such as anti-Asian hate and violence. While we acknowledge the genuine angst and concerns of many Chinese American students and parents who pursue educational opportunities as their pathway to realizing the American dream, race-conscious admissions policies make it possible for students of all backgrounds, including poor and disadvantaged students from the Chinese American community, to access higher education and ultimately contribute to a stronger, more diverse, and more inclusive union.
Committee of 100 encourages the Supreme Court to uphold the current precedent on race-conscious college admissions that permit race as one of many considerations for admissions. Committee of 100 supports the current law which prohibits quotas, admissions caps, and minimums. Committee of 100 opposes any admissions policies that are discriminatory towards Asian Americans under the guise of race-conscious admissions policies, for example, by holding Asian Americans to a higher standard. We embrace diversity and inclusion and believe that the most fair and beneficial admissions process considers the whole of each student’s life, experiences, and accomplishments, thereby creating the richest educational experience for all.
About Committee of 100
Committee of 100 is a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and the arts focused on public policy engagement, civic engagement, and philanthropy. For over 30 years, Committee of 100 has served as the preeminent organization committed to the dual missions of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life and constructive relations between the United States and Greater China. Visit https://www.committee100.org/ or follow Committee of 100 on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more information.
1 EducationData.org, page 10, chart 4, ‘Racial Demographic Trends in College Enrollment’, https://educationdata.org/college-enrollment-statistics
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Contact:
Charles Zinkowski
Sr. Director of Marketing & Communications
Committee of 100
czinkowski@committee100.org
