The Supreme Court will begin hearing two cases later this month and may decide the fate of affirmative action in higher education. In 2018, I testified before a federal judge in one of these cases, Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard, and discussed the importance of affirmative action in my life and why it matters to the Asian American community. I have proved that it is worth it.
I am the daughter of a working class Chinese immigrant who speaks very little English. I was born in Chinese Hospital and raised in Lower Nob Hill, San Francisco. My parents worked in restaurants for low wages, and my family of six barely survived. We lived in a cramped one-bedroom apartment surrounded by urban professionals and underserved communities.
kAmq67@C6 x H2D 6G6?2 E66?286C[ x 25G@42E65 2?5 EC2?D=2E65 7@C >J 72>:=J] X? >J9@FD69@=5[ >J D:3=:?8D 2?5 x 2C6 E96 7:CDE 86?6C2E:@? E@ 8C25F2E6 7C@> 4@==686] X? >J A6CD@?2= DE2E6>6?E 7@C >J 4@==686 2AA=:42E:@?E@ w2CG2C5[ x HC@E6 23@FE 9@H E96D6 6IA6C:6?46D D92A65 >J A2DD:@? E@ 5@ H@C< E92E H@F=5 96=A @E96CD H:E9 D:>:=2C DECF88=6D]k^Am
Kamcus 3682? 2E w2CG2C5:? a_`d]sFC:?8 >J 7: CDE J62C[ x H2D >:D6C23=6 2?5 9@>6D:4<[ 3FE x 6G6?EF2==J 7@F?5 2? 24256>:4 9@>6 😕 >J 6E9?:4 DEF5:6D 4=2DD6D 2?5 2 3C@256C D6?D6 @7 36=@?8:?8 E9C@F89 42>AFD @C82?:K:?8 C6=2E65 E@ C24:2= ;FDE:46] pE2 DEF56?E24E:G:D> >66E:?8:?a_`f[ 2 7C:6?5 D92C65 9@H E@ 7:=6 C6BF6DED F?56C E96 u2>:=J t5F42E:@?2= #:89ED 2?5 !C:G24J p4E E@ D66 >J 25>:DD:@?D 7:=6] rFC:@D:EJ 2?5 2 =:?86C:?8 :>A@DE@C DJ?5C@>6 =65 >6 E@ E6DE @FE E96 AC@46DD]k^Am
kAm%96 C68:DEC2C’D @77:46 82G6 >6 cd >:?FE6D E@ G:6H >J 7:=6]|J 25>:DD:@?D C6256CD D2H G2=F6 2?5 2FE96?E:4:EJ 😕 >J A6CDA64E:G6i “r2E68@C:K65 2D =@H:?4@>6 2?5 H:E9 %2:H2?6D6DA62<:?8 A2C6?ED[ D96 C6=2E6D E@ E96 A=:89E @7 E96 @FED:56CD :? #2=A9 t==:D@? 2?5 (:==:2> u2F=<?6C]」 %9@F89 >J E6DE D4@C6D H6C6 72C 7C@> A6C764E[ E96J 36=:6G65 E92E x 925 E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ >2<6 2 “4@?EC:3FE:@? E@ 4@==686 =:76” E92E H@F=5 36 “ECF=J F?FDF2=]”k^Am
kAmx 36?67:E65 7C@>2?25>:DD:@?D AC@46DD E92E E@@< C246 2?5 E96 67764ED @7 C24:D> :?E@ 4@?D:56C2E:@?]|J DE@CJ 42?’ E 36 4@?G6J65 😕 2 C2463=:?5 H2J 2?5 5FC:?8 E96 w2CG2C5 EC: 2= >J 25>:DD:@?D 7:=6 H2D FD65 2D 2? 6I9:3:EE@ :==FDEC2E6 E9:D]%96 36?67:ED @7 277:C>2E: G6 24E:@? 42CC:65 @G6C :?E@ >J 4=2DDC@@> 6IA6C:6?46 2D H6==[ H96C6 x 925 E96 492?46 E@ =62C? 7C@> 4=2DD>2E6D H9@ 42>6 7C@> G6CJ 5:776C6?E 324<8C@F?5D E92? >J @H?]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 8C25F2E:@?[ x A24<65 >J 328D 2?5 >@G65 324< 9@>6 E@ E92E @?6365C@@> 2A2CE>6?E[ 56E6C>:?65 E@ 86E E@ H@C<] qJ 52J x H@C<65 :? >F=E:C24:2= 4@2=:E:@?D 7@CA@=:4:6D E92E 4@F=5 96=A :>>:8C2?EH@C<:?8 72>:=:6D[ DF49 2D :?G6DE>6?E 😕 H@C<7@C46 EC2:?:?8 7@C 4@>>F?:E:6D @7 4@=@C] pE ?:89E x 4@?E:?F65 E@ ?2G:82E6 4@>A=:42E65 DJDE6>D 2?5 AC@8C2>D 2D 2 4=:6?E[ 2AA=J:?8 7@C 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8 E9C@F89 pD:2? p>6C:42? ?@?AC@7:ED 2?5 E2<:?8 >J A2C6?ED E@ r9:?2E@H? @FEC6249 D:E6D 7@C r~’xs`h G244:?6D] s@:?8 E9:DH@C< — 7@C >JD6=7 2?5 7@C @E96CD — 8:G6D >6 9@A6 E92E D@>652J 6G6CJ@?6 42? D92C6 E96 36=:67 E92E 2 >@C6 72:C 2?5 😕 4=FD:G6 D@4:6EJ :D2 36EE6C @?6]k^Am
kAm%96 :?;FDE:46D x 8C6H FA H:E?6DD:?8 2?5 6IA6C:6?4:?8 DE:== A6C>62E6 @FC =:G6D]%96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE D9@F=5?’E 6?5 277:C>2E:G6 24E:@?]%96 &]$]?665D >@C6 DF49 AC@8C2>D 2?5 A@=: 4:6D E92E 255C6DD E96 :?6BF:E:6D E92E A6@A=6 7246 :?E9:D 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm$@>6 A6@A=6 A@:?EE@ pD:2? p>6C:42?D[ E96 “>@56= >:?@C:EJ[” 36:?8 H6== C6AC6D6?E65 2E 6=:E6 F?:G6CD:E:6D 2D 2 C62D@? C2464@?D4:@FD A@=:4:6D 2C6?’E ?646DD2CJ 😕 9:896C 65F42E:@?] %96 A=2:?E:77D 😕 @?6 @7 E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 42D6D 244FD6 w2CG2C5 @7 5:D4C:>:?2E:?8 282:?DE pD:2? >6C:42? 2AA=:42?ED 6G6? E9@F89 2E E96 =@H6C 4@FCED[ ?@ 6G:56?46 @7 E9:D H2D 7@F?5] x 2> ;FDE @?6 @7 >2?J pD:2? p>6C:42? DEF56?ED 2?5 2=F>?: H9@ 36=:6G6 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ’ D C2464@?D4:@FD A@=:4:6D 96=A65 @FC 25> :DD:@? 2?5 >256 @FC 65F42E:@? 36EE6C]k^Am
kAmpD:2? p>6C:42?D ?665 2?5 36?67:E 7C@> 277:C>2E:G6 24E:@?]p=>@DE f_T @7 pD:2? p> 6C:42? G@E6CD DFAA@CE 277:C>2E:G6 24E:@?]p?5 😕 DE2E6D DF49 2D r2=:7@C?:2[ H96C6 E96 AC@8C2> 92D 366? 32??65 D:?46 `hhe[ F?:G6CD:E:6D 92G6 DECF88=65 E@ :?4C62D6 5:G6CD:EJ H:E9@FE :E]k^Am
kAmp77:C>2E:G6 24E:@? 😀 DF446DD7F= 3642FD6 :E @A6?D 5@@CD 7@C A6@A=6 H9@ H@F=5 @E96CH:D6 36 6I4=F565 — 2?5 3642FD6 :E C64@8?: K6D E92E 6G6CJ@?6 36?67:ED 7C@> 92G:?8 5:G6CD6 A6CDA64E:G6D 2E E96 E23=6]%96 AC@8C2> 😀 2 ? twenty four6?E E92E @FC 65F42E:@?DJDE6> :D?’E 72:C[ 2?5 =2HD E92E 96=A C6>65J :ED :?6BF:E:6D 2C6 ?646DD2CJ] x7 E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 6?5D 277:C>2E:G6 24E:@?[ 2D >2?J AC65:4E[ x’== 36 2>@?8 :ED =2DE 36?67:4:2C:6D] p?5 x’== 4@?E:?F6 H@C<:?8 E@ 96=A E9@D6 =:<6 >6[ H9@ 56D6CG6 2446DD E@ E96 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 2 8C62E 65F42E:@? 42? AC@G:56[ 2?5 H9@ H:== A2J E92E 36?67:E 7@CH2C5 H96? E96J 86E :E]k^Am
k9C^m
kAmW$2==J r96? 😀 E96 65F42E:@? 6BF:EJ AC@8C2> >2?286C 2E r9:?6D6 7@C p77:C>2E:G6 p4E:@?[ H96C6 D96 96=AD 4C62E6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 2?5 2446DD 7@C =@H:?4@>6 r9:?6D6 :>>:8C2?ED 2E 2== =6G6=D @7 65F42E:@?]Xk^Am
kAm©a_aa {@D p?86=6D %:>6D]’:D:E 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]=2E:>6D]4@>Qm=2E:>6D]4@>k^2m ]s:DEC:3FE65 3J %C:3F?6 r@?E6?E p86?4J[ {{r]k^Am
Copyright 2022 Tribune Content Agency.
