On the eve of the Harvard admissions trial, dueling rallies illustrate the politics of the case



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The images above both circulated widely on social media Sunday afternoon, documenting rallies – one in Cambridge and the other in Boston – on the trial officially opened today for whether Harvard University would discredit American applicants of Asian origin.

Rally participants in Boston – most of them Americans of Asian descent and affiliated with a number of American groups of Asian descent – ruled in favor of Harvard 's lawsuit against unlawful discrimination. Americans of Asian descent (judging by many polls) are divided on positive action, with some seeing it costing their sons and daughters at elite colleges, and high school students. Others highlight the benefits it brings to many Americans of Asian descent who do not fit the stereotype of academic success. and economic success.

The banner above, on the right, highlights the appreciation of some Americans of Asian descent for President Trump, whose Justice Department has supported the lawsuit and opened an investigation into similar policies at Yale University.

The banner certainly reflects the views of those who supported it, but it also played in the message of supporters of positive action. They have reiterated time and time again that the purpose of the lawsuit was not to help Americans of Asian descent, but to prevent colleges from considering race or age. of ethnicity at admission, although such a ban would likely result in a sharp decline in the number of black and hard of hearing people. Latino registrations in highly competitive colleges for admission. (Other streamers at the Boston rally attempted to link the lawsuit to civil rights struggles from earlier eras, with many signs saying, "I have a dream.")

Meetings were held at the rally in Boston. Some organizers would be unhappy to see their case related to the Trump administration.

Indeed, at the rally in Cambridge – by Harvard students and alumni defending the university's position – slogans were chanted not against Americans of Asian descent, but against Edward Blum, the strategist behind the lawsuit filed by Students for Fair Admissions. It has also been at the root of past efforts to bring federal courts to limit the consideration of race to colleges. And many assume that it is his goal. And with Anthony Kennedy no longer in the Supreme Court, most legal observers do not see five votes to preserve the status quo on race and confessions.

A central message of the Harvard Coalition for Diversity, which organized the Cambridge Rally, was that many Asian Americans are enrolled in Harvard and support the university's consideration of race to l & # 39; admission. The university has repeatedly noted that Asian enrollment has increased over the years and is well above the share of the American population in the Asian population. The photo above on the left illustrates the diversity reflected at the Cambridge Rally.

Another theme of the rally advocating positive action was that California and other states that banned the public university from taking into account the race of men have seen their numbers dramatically decline since the 1980s. admission of black and Latino students after the introduction of such bans.

Although the number of Latin American people on the campus of the University of California has increased significantly since then, the Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses have not kept pace with the growth of the Latin American population of the state, and the number of black registrations has been largely stagnant.

The speeches of the two rallies were not innovative, but the policy of affirmative action is increasingly seen as a "wedge problem" – a phrase that once evoked ways of dislodging whites from the working class of the Democratic electorate, but this now refers to Republican attempts to seduce American voters of Asian descent, who have always leaned towards Democratic candidates.

Corey Stewart, the Republican candidate who is contesting the re-election of US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, held a press conference last month in an American neighborhood of Vietnamese origin to announce that, when he was elected, he would introduce legislation prohibiting colleges receiving federal funds (essentially all colleges) from considering race or ethnicity of candidates or students.

The Washington Post he said: "I do not think anyone should be punished for his race … We know that quotas are illegal under the Constitution." (Quotas for admissions are illegal is not in dispute, but Harvard and other colleges argue that their consideration of race and ethnicity is part of the case. an intake process that examines a range of qualities of the candidate, without quota.)

Stewart raises the issue of what is perceived as racial discrimination despite careful scrutiny of his campaign's ties with white supremacists and their supporters.

Kaine is considered a big favorite in his race.

But the problem is also raised by Republican Republican Representative, Rep. Mimi King, who is leading a tough battle for reelection in her Orange District, California, in part because Democrats have been courting a growing population.

politico King recently sent a letter regarding the Ministry of Justice's investigation into Yale's investigation and calling for a House of Representatives inquiry into "discrimination against American students in Canada." 39, Asian origin to the Ivy League and other prestigious universities.

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