Support for LAist comes from
Become a sponsor
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Donate
Stay Connected

LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network.

Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen
Donate
Podcasts Take Two
Complicated relationship: Asian Americans and affirmative action
solid orange rectangular banner
()
Take Two Logo
Mar 13, 2014
Listen • 4:38
Complicated relationship: Asian Americans and affirmative action
A proposal to reinstate affirmative action at California's public universities has created an uproar among some Asian-American political action committees.
Laurel Directo thinks students should be judged by merit. At the same time, she recognizes she had an advantage as the daughter of engineers who valued education and sent her to good schools.
Laurel Directo thinks students should be judged by merit. At the same time, she recognizes she had an advantage as the daughter of engineers who valued education and sent her to good schools.
(
Josie Huang/KPCC
)
Jazz Kiang says as a Chinese-American, affirmative action may not benefit him but he still supports it because he said it will bring much-needed diversity to California schools.
Jazz Kiang says as a Chinese-American, affirmative action may not benefit him but he still supports it because he said it will bring much-needed diversity to California schools.
(
Josie Huang/KPCC
)
Hon Hoang disagrees with affirmative action, saying "I think if you honestly put your mind to it you can really go where you want to go."
Hon Hoang disagrees with affirmative action, saying "I think if you honestly put your mind to it you can really go where you want to go."
(
Josie Huang/KPCC
)
Tony Tonne said affirmative action could benefit some Asian-American groups such as Vietnamese and Cambodians.
Tony Tonne said affirmative action could benefit some Asian-American groups such as Vietnamese and Cambodians.
(
Josie Huang/KPCC
)

A proposal to reinstate affirmative action at California's public universities has created an uproar among some Asian-American political action committees.

A proposal to reinstate affirmative action at California's public universities has created an uproar among some Asian-American political action committees.

They worry Asian-Americans will lose college spots to minorities like African-Americans and Latinos, who have far less representation on campus. But how do Asian-American students feel?

KPCC's Josie Huang spoke with some at UCLA, and found out it's complicated.