Julie Park advocates nuance in tackling racial diversity on college campuses
The much-protested reversal of Proposition 209, a California legislation that prohibits public institutions from using race and sex in making admissions decisions, has brought the issue of Asian American discrimination in American university enrollments to the surface. While some argue that Asian Americans are ‘overrepresented,’ particularly at public universities, evidence of race-based control over their representation at private universities (Ivy leagues specifically), has led to fear that a reversal in Prop. 209 will have similar consequences in public universities as well.
Faculty Associate Julie Park urges a deeper understanding of Asian Americans as a group, purporting that there exists inequality in income, education, and ambition. This is further evidenced, Dr. Park explains, in the fact that half of Asian American undergraduates go to community colleges. Understanding the nuance within this group is therefore essential to determining the validity of claims that Asian Americans are overrepresented in prominent state and private university enrollments. This, in turn, informs a larger debate on what goals for enhancing racial diversity in American universities mean for considerations of merit and fairness.