A Univ. of
Calf., Riverside professor of public policy and political science,
KARTHICK RAMAKRISHNAN, did a poll asking a question about
affirmative action (AA):
"Do you
favor or oppose affirmative action programs designed to help blacks, women and other minorities get better jobs and
education?"
He found 69%
AsAms supporting AA. Even among Chinese Ams. 60% are in
support.
This professor
THEREBY concluded that "These findings point to the
likelihood that the opposition to SCA-5 was probably the result
of selective mobilization among those Asian
American voters opposed to the measure, rather than a sign of drastically
shifting opinion among Asian American voters against affirmative
action"
The above
interpretation of the poll was actually published as an op-ed page article at
LA Times.
I
was amazed &
amused. Does such a jump in logic pass as
scholarly research now? The
following is my answer to the conclusions of this professor:
"Amazing. This professor doesn't seem to know the
difference between AA and "race conscious" college
admissions. The Stop-SCA 5 was focused on
"race-conscious" admissions only. It was NOT about AA in
general.
Affirmative
action is broad,
it includes (1) employment, (2) government contracts and (3)
college/school admissions. AA is, as the poll has phrased it,
"designed to HELP blacks,
women and other minorities get better jobs and
education?" However, "race-conscious" college
admissions is only one of the 3 components of AA. In addition,
it turns out to HURT Asian Americans,
blacks and Hispanics. Asian-Am students had to give white
college applicants 140 points on the SAT in order to gain equal
access to first-tier colleges. Black and Hispanics students
were HURT by the "academic mis-match" phenomenon -
needing to switch out of STEM & law majors.
In other
words, the "race-conscious" college admissions policy
is ANTI-affirmative. That was why stop-SCA-5 succeeded.
The poll was
done correctly. The professor just doesn't know how to interpret
it. There is a lesson here. One needs to know the differences
between apples and oranges."
Pass this
e-newsletter to students at UC, Riverside so that they may know whose
courses NOT to take, for his demonstrated lack of
clear-thinking. :-)
- - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - -
SELF (Self Empowerment Long-term Fund)
has 2 years to raise $1 million/yr for 5 years so that MONEY will
talk for us politically. SELF is only 15 days
from its first anniversary. It has only raised $354,000/yr for
5 years or is 25% behind the schedule.
Want to do your share to make sure that
your children enjoy equal opportunity? DONATE here. Many
thanks.
|
