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APAs Against Affirmative Action

DEAR EDITOR: Imagine a school admission policy whereby applicants are classified into two groups based upon race: favored and nonfavored races. Imagine that such a policy holds members of nonfavored races to higher academic standards to be admitted. Imagine also that Asian Pacific Americans are nonfavored. The University of Michigan uses such a policy, and it is wrong and discriminatory, see “APAs Speak Out Against Bush’s Anti-Affirmative Action Stance,” (Jan. 30).

APAs have a long history of being victims of racism and of working through the courts to end such racism. In 1885, the courts had to order San Francisco public schools to admit a Chinese American girl. In 1994, Chinese Americans filed a suit Ho v. San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), because the admission policy denied them admission to public schools due to their race. African Americans were also denied admission to their schools of choice due to their race. In 1999, SFUSD capitulated and ended its discriminatory admission policy by removing race as a criterion. It is unfathomable that some APAs are now arguing in support of the University of Michigan’s admission policy, which perpetuates racism.

If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the University of Michigan, the repercussions will be felt across the country. In San Francisco, we may find that admission to our public schools will again be race-based, to the detriment of the children in SFUSD. I submit that anyone who supports the University of Michigan policy has never suffered the discriminatory effect of such a policy.

DEAR EDITOR: For an article about affirmative action, “APAs Speak Out Against Bush’s Anti-Affirmative Action Stance,” (Jan. 30) that repeated the word “diversity” a total of 11 times, it surely wasn’t diverse. An excellent point can be drawn from complaints made by supporters of affirmative action — every single statement made in the “news” article reflected views supporting affirmative action, not a single one indicating opposition to the policy.

The true outrage of it all is that the article refused to address the growing number of APAs who are against affirmative action (over a quarter of APAs oppose affirmative action even according to the pro-affirmative action National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium’s own political survey, as indicated by the article). As a high school student and youth, I have witnessed a growing number of APA youth realizing the legitimate and mind-provoking arguments made by anti-affirmative action groups.

AsianWeek is truly creating a disservice to our community by not promoting the diversity of views about this pertinent APA issue. The paper should be addressing the truest form of diversity we all value as Americans — the diversity of viewpoints and opinions.

DEAR EDITOR: Regarding the article about APAs and affirmative action, diversity is a good thing, but not when a school’s race-based admission policy denies anyone equal protection under the 14th amendment. The end (diversity) does not justify the means (trampling on an individual’s legal rights).

What does diversity mean to you? I hope it means more than skin color. Do you think a child or grandchild of Colin Powell would add more diversity to a student population than a Cambodian refugee? According to the University of Michigan’s admissions policy, Colin Powell’s offspring would receive points for his skin color, the Cambodian zero.

If a school system values the diversity of an individual’s life experiences, then that school’s admission policy should reflect those criteria. Schools should try harder to figure out how to achieve diversity without using race. If a school’s applicant pool is not as diverse as desired, then that school can reach out and touch diverse communities. Let’s get really progressive.

No, don’t even think of calling me a racist. Racists are those who believe in or act on racial discrimination. Imbedded in racism is the notion of superiority/inferiority. The University of Michigan’s admission policy sends what I think is the wrong message — that preferred races are inferior.

No Yellow Fever on Soaps

DEAR EDITOR: This is regarding the portrayal of APAs on daytime television. Even if you don’t watch soap operas, this is important for the future of APAs in mainstream entertainment.

ABC’s hit daytime drama, All My Children, has introduced two APA characters to their show: Henry Chin and Regina. They have made it clear that there is some sort of history between Henry and Regina but instead of making them romantic interests, they are pairing him with a white girl, a character by the name of Maggie Stone.

I am an American-born Chinese and am sick and tired of always seeing people from my racial background paired up with people of other races whenever I turn on the television, or watch movies. It’s not that I’m against interracial dating, I am just really tired of Asians paired with people not of their own race, show after show, movie after movie, as the only option. Especially when it is so clearly not the case in reality.

Usually it is because they are the only Asian guy or girl (the “token Asian”), so they stick them together with someone white, or with another minority. But in the case of All My Children, they have two really good-looking APAs on the show at the same time, and it’s like a tease not to put them together! We see that Henry and Regina have known each other since they were little kids. They obviously must have some sort of feelings for one another? I mean, they are both hot and smart, why wouldn’t there be some attraction?

Do we want to see a couple that represents us as we really are, or do we want to continue to allow TV executives to portray interracial relationships as the only way an Asian can find romance in entertainment? Ivan Shaw and Lynn Chen, the actors who play Henry and Regina, are superstar-quality talents. We must act now! Please visit the website www.geocities.com/noyellowfever/write.html and write in to the powers that be at the addresses found there.