Asian-American Students and Affirmative Action

The underlying ideology behind affirmative action is that minority groups in the United States that have historically been discriminated against should be given the opportunity to repair the adverse effects of that discrimination. Affirmative action creates the opportunity for minorities to develop the education and skills necessary to compete in America. At its inception, its need was obvious. However, its necessity has been questioned of late due to the success of certain minority groups and the arguably adverse effects on groups not protected by its policies. Asian Americans represent a group that falls into both of these categories. This paper addresses the issues surrounding Asian-American admissions to American universities in light of issues raised by Derrick Bell's analysis of civil rights issues in his book And We Are Not Saved.

In his study of civil rights issues in the United States, Bell approaches his subject through a blend of fact and fiction that allows for a thorough analysis of the issues he discusses. Bell uses the fictional character of Geneva Crenshaw to develop a series of Chronicles that raise civil rights issues currently under discussion. Through the Chronicles, Bell is able to create a scenario that addresses the issues with greater clarity. They also allow for a dialogic discussion that keeps the reader enthralled longer than would a straightforward narration and discussion of the issues.

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ontext of a university's constitutional right of academic freedom. Toward the end of the Chronicle, Geneva states that the disadvantages wrought by generations of racial discrimination cannot be remedied simply by enjoining discriminatory practices (Bell 159). She states that the controversy over whether and to what degree affirmative action is "wise, legal, and moral has obscured the inherent limitations of the affirmative-action approach in particular and on integration ideology in general" (Bell 159). The limitations placed on the school's hiring of minority faculty mirrors the current exclusion of Asian-American students, as pointed out by the rejected candidate in his letter to Geneva. Affirmative action policies offer no incentive to those required to implement it to exceed its requirements. The central issue raised by the Chronicle and the ceilings on Asian-American admissions to universities is: What happens when a racial group protected by affirmative action begins to produce qualified members in numbers exceeding the "slots" permitted that group in a given field or institution? In the Chronicle, the predominantly white school chooses to stop accepting qualified minority candidates once their representation at the
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Approximate Word count = 1493
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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