Asian Americans support for affirmative action wavers when it comes to college admissions

ANALYSIS 

UPDATED 1:30 a.m., June 11, 2023

A majority of Asian Americans approve affirmative action programs overall but when it comes to getting their own kids into college, that's another matter.

Although, in general, most Asian Americans like the idea and goals of affirmative action programs in employment and awarding of grants or contracts, a new survey by the Pew Research Center found that Asian Americans' view of affirmative action is more nuanced than a simple yea or nay across the board.

Based on a large multi-language survey of Asian American adults living in the US, the Pew analysis finds about half of those who have heard of affirmative action (53%) say it is a good thing, while 19% say it is a bad thing and 27% say they don’t know whether it is good or bad. 

FYI: Read the entire Pew Research Center analysis here.

However, when asked about affirmative action in college admissions, the survey reveals a reversal of opinion. The survey finds about three-quarters of Asian Americans (76%) say race or ethnicity should not factor into college admissions decisions. 

By the end of June, the right-wing dominated US Supreme Court is expected to issue their rulings in two affirmative action complaints brought forth by the anti-affirmative action group, Students for Fair Admissions headed by conservative activist Edward Blum.

In an attempt to appear less racist, Blum's complaint against the Harvard and University of North Carolina is alleging that the schools' admission programs are biased against Asian applicants.

Blum is using the high value Asian Americans place on a good education from prestigious schools as the door to economic security and opportunities to convince some Asian Americans that their children with high grades and test scores are being denied admission so that "less-qualified" applicants (code for Blacks and Latinos) can secure placement.

Both Harvard and UNC deny any racial bias towards Asians in their admission process, a claim supported by the rulings by lower courts.

Most Asian American civil rights organizations support affirmative action, including the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) both of which have filed briefs in support of race-conscious admissions.

However, when asked by Pew about a list of factors that colleges should consider, only 21% of Asian adults say colleges should consider race and ethnicity when deciding which students to accept. By contrast, Asian adults broadly say high school grades (87%), community service (71%) and standardized test scores (71%) should be factors considered in college admissions.

Lower shares say athletic ability (33%), family income (26%) and gender (17%) should be considered. Few Asian adults (10%) say schools should consider family connections or “legacies” in admissions.

Overall, majorities of Asian adults across gender, age, education and origin groups say race or ethnicity should not factor into college admissions. Similar shares of Indian (77%), Chinese (76%), Filipino (76%), Vietnamese (76%), Korean (72%) and Japanese (70%) American adults express this view.

This latest Pew survey is the latest in the nonpartisan Center’s series of in-depth analyses of public opinion among Asian Americans. It also features data from general population surveys of US adults and a qualitative study of Asian Americans. 

ABC

Asian Americans are at the center of the debate over affirmative action.

The Pew findings reinforce the complexity of the score of Asian communities that fall under the umbrella "Asian American" term. 

While, in general, Pew found that Asian Americans supported affirmative action as a policy to give equal opportunity for generations of intentional and unintentional, ingrained racist policies in institutions of government, education and finance.

However, when it came down to one's own family, Pew found that Asian American support seems to be less solid. Conservative media outlets jumped on that result  blaring out their own biased conclusions about a "divide" in the Asian American community giving the impression that affirmative action support is 50-50.

AAPI Data, which for years have reported through its own surveys that the support for  affirmative action was closer to 75% among Asian Americans, a finding that coincides with Pew's findings.

Janelle Wong, director of Asian American studies at the University of Maryland and senior researcher at AAPI Data, told NBC News that wording can significantly impact the way respondents perceive the role of race in admissions, particularly when the phrase “affirmative action” isn’t used.

“It’s not attached to a policy. It’s just saying, ‘Should race be considered?’ The way the law works, race can only be considered as one of many, many, many other factors and it can never be the primary factor, but the question wording makes it sound like it could be the primary factor,” Wong said. “There’s lots of different ways it could be interpreted and so that’s why we see that difference.”

Among the other key findings from this analysis:

• Nearly three-in-four Asian adults in the US (74%) say they have heard the phrase “affirmative action” before, with awareness varying across Asian demographic subgroups. For example, 91% of US-born Asians say this compared with 67% of Asian immigrants.

• Views of affirmative action among Asian Americans who have heard the term before diverge sharply by political party affiliation. Among Asian Americans, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say affirmative action is a good thing (64% vs. 32%). Notably, views of affirmative action among Asian Republicans vary by education level.

• When asked about a list of factors that colleges should consider in admissions decisions, only 21% of Asian adults say colleges should consider race and ethnicity when deciding which students to accept. By contrast, Asian adults broadly say high school grades (87%), standardized test scores (71%) and community service (71%) should be factors considered in college admissions. Lower shares say athletic ability (33%), family income (26%) and gender (17%) should be considered. Few Asian adults (10%) say schools should consider family connections or “legacies” in admissions

• Majorities of Asian adults across gender, age, education and origin subgroups say race should not factor in college admissions. For example, seven-in-ten or more Indian (77%), Chinese (76%), Filipino (76%), Vietnamese (76%), Korean (72%) and Japanese (70%) adults express this view.

As the Supreme Court decision hangs over June, the Asian American community finds itself at the center of the contentious debate. One way or the other, it will be affected.

It should be noted that Harvard's incoming freshman class this fall is around 23% Asian. Those Asian applicants who were turned away will most likely get accepted in other schools so their pursuit of the American Dream will continue.

However, as Asian Americans await the Supreme Court's decision later this month, they must face larger questions. Are they willing to perhaps suffer individual disappointments for a more equitable society offered by affirmative action; or will they  enjoy the opportunities traditionally reserved for Whites by keeping the doors shut to those who have historically been stymied by racist traditions?

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.