Advertisement
Opinion | Asian-Americans still need affirmative action if they wish to succeed
- Daniel Lu says WeChat debates about the Harvard lawsuit and affirmative action are dividing the Chinese-American community
- Opponents of affirmative action should know the racism that plagues other minorities also hurts Asian-Americans
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
After the 2016 US presidential election, WeChat took on a new centrality in my mum’s life. What used to be a way for her to keep in touch with me suddenly became the site of intense political debates. Every day, my mum would argue with old friends about everything from the dangers of owning a gun to the importance of trans bathroom rights.
Advertisement
Today, affirmative action has emerged as one of the most contentious issues in my mum’s social network. As the lawsuit against Harvard University presses on – the case highlights Asian-Americans as alleged victims of racial discrimination – my mother’s community of Chinese-Americans is tearing itself apart.
While her friends oppose affirmative action, my mum and I are among the 60 per cent who support it. Our community is deeply divided, yet we all want the same things: fairness and a better future for our children.
My parents immigrated to the US from China, and raised my sister and me in a well-off, predominantly white suburb of Boston. Growing up in such an environment, where we were excluded and made to feel like we didn’t belong, it is easy to feel like life is still unfair for Asian-Americans.
First-generation Asian immigrant parents, perhaps some of the most vocal supporters of the lawsuit, sacrificed and struggled a lot to build lives here. But, whereas their vision of success includes a prestigious education, others of their generation and most second-generation immigrants like myself see success as more than a matter of personal gain.
On WeChat, these differences in opinion are shouted at my mum: “It’s just unfair if my kid earns better grades, better SAT scores, and loses his spot. It’s discrimination!”
Advertisement