The educational community in the US is concerned about the possibility of the elimination of Affirmative Action policies, which ensure that there is a cultural diversity in schools and universities, so that historically underrepresented communities could lose valuable opportunities in their development of learning and, therefore, affect their future.
In the educational field, the term "Affirmative Action" is a set of policies applied in schools that consider the differences between ethnic groups as the main characteristic for their admission, inclusion in programs and the consideration of their performance according to the social group. to which it belongs, since each one has its own capabilities and limitations, so it is impossible to generalize education.
During a press conference organized by Ethnic Media Services, a group of specialists in the subject, addressed the risks that thousands of young people could face in their educational future, especially in university admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina without this Affirmative Action.
For Lisa Holder, president of the non-profit organization Equal Justice Society ?EJS? It is concerning that the Affirmative Action policy is removed by putting students' education and opportunities at risk, without thinking about the social damage that could be caused, such is the case currently happening in California.
“We have seen that children of color do not have the same access to opportunities. Our public universities in the state of California are now less diverse, and several generations of college students have lost those benefits that higher education offers,” he stressed.
Given this, Holder, who has extensive experience as a lawyer, called on the educational community and society in general to consider all possibilities and not only depend on the Affirmative Action policy, but to create and analyze new educational inclusion measures. .
In this sense, Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund ?Mexico-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund? He pointed out that one should not depend solely on the decisions of the courts, "in the end people make their own decisions and we must all seek other measures that generate opportunities for inclusion."
The also lawyer, invited to prepare for misinterpretations by eliminating the Affirmative Action, as he said, "it should not be taken to the extreme, nor let it affect other areas of society."
At the time, John C. Yang, president and CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a nonprofit legal aid and civil rights organization, expressed his concern about the elimination of Affirmative Action and the effects it would have on the Asian-American community. thus.
“Our future depends on racial equity and diversity in tertiary education in order to have a successful multiracial democracy. If this decision, these limits, this policy is enforced "Affirmative Action removal," we are all going to suffer, specifically Asian Americans."
Yang said that "education cannot go backwards." An example of this, he said, is that Harvard University would be highly affected in terms of racial diversity, with a decrease from 14 to 6 percent among Afro-descendant students, while among Latinos it would drop from 14 to 9 percent.
For her part, Michele Siqueiros, president of The Campaign for College Opportunity, explains that students lose interest in education when measures such as the elimination of Affirmative Action are applied, so it is necessary to support racial diversity in favor of education .
“It is a universal value and we are going to continue advocating for inclusion in higher education regardless of the decision of the Supreme Court, and we are going to make sure that this is not a justification for universities to return to an era of segregation and exclusion. to deny entry to Asian-Americans, Afro-descendants and Latinos," he said.
While Affirmative Action has generated many accomplishments and benefits, it should not be assumed that this measure is the only one, Siqueiros added.
For this reason, he pointed out, it is important to learn from what has happened in California, where many students decided not to apply for admission to schools, because the Affirmative Action policy was interpreted in a very conservative way that limited freedom.
Finally, the specialists spoke about how the admission exams are applied and interpreted, "as simple numbers", without considering the academic performance, the student's potential or their performance over the years, "you cannot just generalize".
“They reduce us to a number, a number on a standardized test that has nothing to do with our character, with our intelligence, has nothing to do with our merits. Character is what shapes you as a person,” said Thomas A. Saenz.
In conclusion, the specialists agreed that it is necessary to see students beyond a figure or student enrollment number, since each one deserves the opportunity to learn, study and develop as a professional.
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