Press Release
Asian Americans support federal court ruling upholding Harvard's race-conscious admissions policy
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) today praised the decision by a federal court in Massachusetts, which found that Harvard University’s race-conscious admissions policy is constitutional and does not discriminate against Asian Americans.
AALDEF executive director Margaret Fung said: “We are glad the court followed longstanding Supreme Court precedents and upheld the consideration of race as one of several factors in the admissions process. The decision acknowledges the importance of a diverse educational environment that benefits all students, including Asian Americans.”
In the 130-page decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs rejected the plaintiff’s claims of racial balancing and intentional discrimination against Asian Americans and found that Harvard had properly considered race as a plus factor in admission decisions.
Thirty-two Asian American groups and higher education faculty joined an amicus brief in this case filed by AALDEF and its pro bono co-counsel Foley Hoag:
Organizations
18 Million Rising
Asian American Federation
Asian American Psychological Association
Asian Americans United
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
Asian Pacific American Network
Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance
Asian Pacific Islander Americans for Civic Empowerment
Chinese for Affirmative Action
Chinese Progressive Association
Coalition for Asian American Children & Families
GAPIMNY
Japanese American Citizens League
Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
Individuals
(Institutional affiliations provided for identification purposes only)
Vichet Chhuon - University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Gabriel J. Chin - University of California, Davis School of Law
Tarry Hum - Queens College CUNY
Anil Kalhan - Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
Shirley Lung - City University of New York School of Law
Mari J. Matsuda - William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Kevin Nadal - City University of New York
Philip Tajitsu Nash - University of Maryland at College Park
Cathy J. Schlund-Vials - University of Connecticut
John Kuo Wei Tchen - Rutgers University - Newark
Margaret Y.K. Woo - Northeastern University School of Law
K. Wayne Yang - University of California, San Diego
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For more information, contact:
Ken Kimerling, Legal Director
212.966.5932 x203 – kkimerling@aaldef.org
Margaret Fung, Executive Director
212.966.5932 x201 – mfung@aaldef.org