July 6, 2023
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ended its term with a series of deeply unsettling opinions that upend decades of progress towards racial, gender and LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion. The decisions included rulings that severely limits the use of race-conscious admissions in higher education and extend First Amendment free speech protections to certain business owners who oppose same-sex marriage. SCOTUS also struck down President Biden’s student-loan forgiveness program, which would have canceled up to $20,000 of debt for millions of student loan borrowers including a disproportionate number of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).
Center for Asian Americans in Action is pained by the SCOTUS decisions and the misinformation that a small and selected few of the Asian American community have perpetuated about race-conscious college admissions. We disagree with the majority opinion and believe institutions cannot rectify the legacies of systemic racism and discrimination through a “colorblind” approach. Here in California, we’ve seen educational institutions continue to struggle to meet their diversity goals years after California voters passed Prop 209, which banned affirmative action at public universities in the state. We affirm our commitment to advocating for policies that advance equity and promote belonging for marginalized communities.
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The Center for Asian Americans in Action (Center for A3) conducts policy analysis, engages in policy advocacy, and strengthens the policy capacity of community organizations to build a more equitable society for Asian Americans in Orange County, California and beyond. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization fiscally sponsored by the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA).
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