The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) Response to Supreme Court’s Decision to Strike Down Affirmative Action

San Francisco, CA (June 29, 2023) – Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina that affirmative action programs violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, TAAF Chief Executive Officer Norman Chen issued the following statement in response:

“In light of the recent Supreme Court decision to strike down affirmative action programs at Harvard and UNC, TAAF remains steadfast in supporting race-conscious admissions. Inclusive education requires that all the places where learning happens are as diverse as the world students will enter. To truly root out discrimination and hate in this country and to dismantle structural inequities in education, our academic institutions must represent a diversity of backgrounds and offer curricula that explore the histories and lived experiences of communities that have often gone untold.

We stand with those from underrepresented groups that face systemic barriers to equitable access to education and believe affirmative action has and can continue to help close those gaps. While higher education has been accessible by some members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, not all have been afforded the same opportunities. The model minority myth perpetuates the harmful misperception that all AAPIs are high-achieving in spaces like education–leaving certain AAPI groups out of the affirmative action conversation and driving a wedge between AAPIs and other communities of color.

All students deserve a fair chance to attend college. Unfair practices where a discriminatory lens targets AAPIs and other communities of color are unacceptable. School administrators need to address biases in the current admissions process that disadvantage AAPIs and other students of color.

A holistic consideration of each applicant, with race as one factor among many, is essential to removing barriers within education, business, and beyond to bring us closer to a society where equal opportunity and prosperity are within reach for all.”