Taking a Stand for Diversity in Education

Harvard students supporting affirmative action will be honored with the Changemaker Award at the 2019 American Courage Awards.

Race is a critical part of one’s identity and not something that can be erased. Harvard student advocates who vocalized their support for their school’s race-conscious admissions policies showed through their own experiences that being able to share one’s whole story adds value to the admissions process and to the college experience overall. The recent federal court ruling in favor of Harvard is a testament to the impact of their student advocacy efforts, which will positively impact the future of millions of students of color.

Asian American students joined a racially diverse coalition of students to testify in SFFA v. Harvard last year, where their work and testimony was critical in the arguments supporting affirmative action. The students’ tireless efforts to fight for educational equity and diversity have been vital in helping the public understand the necessity of affirmative action.

Sally Chen, a recent graduate who testified, credits race-conscious admissions for getting into Harvard: “Race-conscious admissions is not a panacea for all of the inequity in the education system or on college campuses, but I believe it is a critical policy to open the doors to an elite university like Harvard for all students of color.”

Another student who testified, Itzel Vasquez-Rodriguez, a Xicana graduate of Harvard, noted that Harvard’s race-conscious admissions programs were a key factor in her deciding to apply to the elite school: “I was worried that Harvard was too white, elite, and expensive. But I believed that if a school took race into account, they would be a more inviting and diverse institution.”

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC is proud to honor these courageous young leaders during the American Courage Awards event at the National Press Club on October 3, 2019. Sally Chen and Jang Lee will be accepting the award on behalf of the students. If you cannot join us in person, you can celebrate with us online.

The students in the SFFA v. Harvard case were represented by our affiliate organizations Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Los Angeles and Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Asian Law Caucus.