Linda Yang
By Linda Yang
WA Asians For Equality
Proponents of the repeal of I-200 tried to use a 2006 study, entitled “Affirmative Action in Washington State,” to justify their cause. We’d like to add data that were left out in the original article in the Northwest Asian Weekly (Bring back affirmative action? March 17, 2018) to show that I-200 indeed benefits the Asian American community.
According to University of Washington (UW)’s own website, one year after the passage of I-200, “Asian American students planning to enroll (in the Fall 1999 freshman class) increased 6 percent (from 1,109 to 1,176).” That was despite a slight dip in Asian American application rate in 1999, according to the same 2006 study. In other words, prior to the passage of I-200, UW’s racial quota policy in admission prevented Asian American students from being accepted.
The most recent data from National Center for Education Statistics showed that in 2014, among total postsecondary student population in Washington, 8.96 percent was Asian, 0.61 percent was Pacific Islander. During that time, 9.53 percent of the state’s general population was Asian, 0.66 percent was Pacific Islander, with other ethnic groups making up the remainder. Proponents’ claim that I-200 hurts AAPI in higher education is groundless.
Senator Bob Hasegawa called us, who opposes repeal of I-200, “privileged.” On the contrary, we all worked hard to achieve what we have achieved. We believe in education, we believe in merit-based systems that reward hard work. Education empowers our kids to get ahead. We want to fight for the equal education right for all AAPI students. NO repeal of I-200, no racial quota. In our opinion, the law should be reinforced, not repealed.
Discrimination and racism is against the law yet continues to invade every aspect of our society in many forms. Mainly because it cannot be proven or is often disguised as a moral judgement. In fact, discrimination/racism can never be moral or right so to use it for political gain or to exclude ANY group is never ok. You want a more equal playing field? You must justly make it so. It is clear to me that Affirmative Action is discrimination and racist
The question is why are necessary scores to enter college lower for groups other than Asians? Don’t except that more money to a system of education that has not worked well for decades is the answer and Asians are the problem. I am old enough to know that once upon a time our entire educational system was the envy of the world. In fact, a final exam for anyone graduating from high school in the forties was tougher than that of many universities today. FIX THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FOR ALL.
Also, not everyone is cut out for academics even though it appears that all Asians are, simply because a higher percentage tests well. The fact is that everyone has something to offer. We need to respect and value everyone for what they have to offer so that, as a society, we might always have what we need.
From what I have observed, as a culture, Asians do not tend to leave the importance of education to any system. Like other important jobs, they take the education of their children very seriously. Its not that other cultures don’t want their children educated or that they don’t love their children as much; however, other cultures may be more easily accepting of mediocrity and tell themselves it will all workout in the end because that is what’s promised by requests for more money, but it doesn’t work out. Put the blame where it belongs and fix the problem instead of creating yet another diversion.
Equality for ALL! Racial quota is illegal! Racial quota = racist!!!