WASHINGTON, DC — New Asian Leaders (NAL), a non-profit Asian American leadership organization headquartered in Washington, DC, supports today’s Asian American Coalition for Education’s (AACE) complaint against Yale University, Brown University, and Dartmouth College alleging racial bias against Asian Americans, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus’ (CAPAC) statement of August 4, 2015 urging transparency, opportunity for all, and diversity in the higher education admissions process.  NAL, moreover, urges elite institutions to be transparent in their admissions criteria and policies, place specifically no caps on Asian American admissions, and focus on promoting diversity and inclusion for the socioeconomically distressed.

As the testimony of many parents and students as well as research studies have indicated, Asian Americans continue to face systematic and persistent racial bias and discrimination in the admissions process at elite universities.  Many policies such as “holistic” college admissions, have led to Asian Americans being excluded based upon racial stereotypes about their narrowness of their endeavors and achievements.  In spite of high academic achievements and outstanding student participation in a wide range of activities, Asian American students, because of this discrimination, find it difficult to be admitted to these institutions.

NAL demands that elite universities become transparent in the admissions process.  As institutions who receive federal funding from the U.S. government, they are beneficiaries of the public trust and should be required to demonstrate good faith to the American people about their criteria and policies regarding the admissions process.   The American people have the right to know about who gets in, under what criteria, and through which policies.  Obfuscations such as arguing about privacy concerns, cost and time for processing requests, and being unable to find such data are inexcusable and obstructionist.

NAL urges elite universities to place no caps on the opportunities of all Americans, including Asian Americans.  We agree with CAPAC’s recommendation urging universities to practice no upper limit quotas for any racial or ethnic group.  Such caps are legally unaccceptable and violate the equal protection clause of the 4th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  In the past, Jewish Americans were subject to such quotas and caps and were limited from admission to Ivy League schools.  We have grown and matured as a Nation since then and can no longer tolerate racial or religious bias or discrimination.  Since the Civil Rights Era, we must protect the rights of Americans to have equal opportunity for all; making sure that there are no racially or ethnically-based slots, quotas, or caps placed on higher education admissions.

Lastly, NAL enjoins elite universities to promote diversity and inclusion for the socioeconomically distressed.  Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Injustice for some is injustice for all.”  We must promote opportunities for the socieconomically distressed.  We support federal and state laws that promote diversity and inclusion at our universities.  Inclusion creates the conditions for a democratic and civil society and gives us the opportunity to live and work in a diverse and rapidly changing environment.  Doing so requires K-12 education to be reformed, invested in, and focused upon in order to give those who are socioeconomically distressed better preparation for higher education.  Providing equal opportunities for all demands all of us — government, non-profit organizations, K-12 schools, businesses and corporations, parents and community members, and institutions of higher learning such as elite universities— to collaborate and partner with one another for those who are socioeconomically distressed.

Best regards,

Cliff Li, NAL Executive Director

If you would like to schedule an interview with Mr. Cliff Zhonggang Li, Executive Director of New Asian Leaders, please call NAL direct at 954-233-0672 x 527 or email us at press@NewAsianLeaders.org.  New Asian Leaders (NAL) is committed to encouraging Asian Americans to participate in the political process and to ensure the establishment of future leaders in the Asian American community.