Introduction to Prop 16 (2020)

Originally shared October 10, 2020

Dismantling myths about Proposition 16 and Affirmative Action in the Asian American community

What is Affirmative Action?

Affirmative Action allows for the consideration of race and gender among other factors to promote equal opportunity for people who face educational, economic, and institutional barriers to success. Today, the people who face systemic racism and gender discrimination in education and employment are women, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian people.

Since 1996, Affirmative Action has been banned in public education and public jobs in California. During that time, University of California admission rates for Black and Latinx students have dropped 30 and 26 points respectively, Women currently make just 80 cents of what a white man would make, and Asian American women make just 75 cents, 1 in 6 K-12 public schools do not have a Latinx educator and around half don’t have a Black educator.

What will Prop 16 do?

Prop 16 will legalize Affirmative Action in public education and public jobs, expanding equal opportunity for Californians who suffer from gender discrimination and systemic racism.

It will allow:

• Investment in new educator outreach programs so schools can hire more teachers who represent the diversity of their classrooms.
• Public colleges to create scholarships for underrepresented groups and Women in STEM programs.
• Public colleges to look at the systemic barriers students have faced to success during the admission process.

It will NOT introduce racial quotas at schools and businesses. They were deemed unconstitutional in 1978.

Debunking Myths about Affirmative Action in the Asian American community

Although studies show most Asian Americans support Affirmative Action, a small but vocal group of Asian Americans claim that Prop 16 discriminates against AAPIs. Let’s examine why they’re wrong.

MYTH: Affirmative Action will favor Black and Latinx applicants over Asian American applicants.

This is FALSE. Instead, Affirmative Action will allow colleges to use holistic review to look at the barriers students have faced to success, which includes structural racism and socioeconomic status. Because of this, working-class and marginalized AAPI groups will benefit greatly from Affirmative Action.

MYTH: Asian Americans are successful and don’t need Affirmative Action.

This is FALSE. This perpetuates anti-Black and anti-Brown racism. Several studies show Asian Americans benefit from Affirmative Action. AAPI admission rates to the University of California have declined during the ban on Affirmative Action.

Asian American-owned businesses have lost money on public contracts without Affirmative Action, just as other POC-owned businesses do. Between 1994 and 1996, thirteen Filipinos were enrolled at UC Berkeley’s Law School. After Affirmative Action was banned, only three Filipinos were enrolled in the next four years. Studies show that universities that practice Affirmative Action see greater gains in Asian American enrollment in general.

This narrative also ignores the socioeconomic disparity between ethnic groups in the AAPI community. The “model minority” myth erases AAPI groups who are most harmed by systemic racism in education. Affirmative Action will especially help marginalized AAPI groups such as Southeast Asians, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and working-class AAPIs find educational and economic opportunities in California.

Conservative groups have repeatedly used Asian Americans to campaign against Affirmative Action.

Edward Blum, an anti-Affirmative Action strategist who leads Students for Fair Admissions has specifically stated, “I needed Asian plaintiffs.” after losing Abigail Fisher’s Affirmative Action case against the University of Texas. They are only interested in dismantling affirmative action by any means necessary and using any ethnic group that is convenient. Their end goal is NOT protecting Asian Americans against discrimination.

How to support Prop 16 for this election

Sign up for a text bank training at vote16.info/text, Every Wednesday 6–7pm, On your own time. Join a text bank: Every Tue, Wed, Thur, Sat. Join the Social Media Team, Tag @YesonProp16 online. Donate to the website: voteyesonprop16.org. Tune in to @aapiforceef’s IG Live Discussion about Prop 16 on Tues., 10/13 @ 11am PT!

“We’ve got to win by fighting everyday. You will fight for your freedom, justice, equality, for your families your entire life.” Assemblymember Shirley Weber.

Sources:

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Affirmative Action Benefits Asian Americans
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Not Your Wedge
• San Francisco Chronicle: Affirmative action has nothing to do with bias against Asian Americans
• AP News: Diversity among Asians divides them on affirmative action
• Campaign for College Opportunity: Prop 209 Brief
• Yes on Prop 16 Supporter Toolkit