Interest Convergence or Divergence?: A Critical Race Analysis of Asian Americans, Meritocracy, and Critical Mass in the Affirmative Action Debate

Abstract

We use the Critical Race Theory frameworks of interest convergence and divergence to critique the anti-affirmative action movement's co-option of Asian Americans. Past discussions of affirmative action and Asian Americans mainly concentrate on how Asian Americans are affected by affirmative action, whether positively or negatively. We demonstrate how Asian American collegiate experiences ought to affect public understanding of affirmative action itself by demonstrating the need for broader conceptualizations of meritocracy and critical mass.academically successful white students rejected for admission by highly selective institutions have challenged the fairness of affirmative action in the courts. landmark cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978, and Fisher v. University of Texas (2013) were all initiated by white plaintiffs. 1 however, the most appealing poster children for the anti-affirmative action movement are not Whites but Asian Americans-specifically, Asian americans with stellar academic records and perfect or near perfect test scores who have been rejected by the institution of their choice. arguing that affirmative action hurts Asian Americans allows challengers to frame their opposition to the policy with colorblind language that seemingly reflects a concern for fairness and even thoughtful concern for a

The Personal Statement as a Marginalizing Rhetorical Device: Merit and Racism in College Access

“…Admissions counselors make assessments of an applicant's potential for collegiate academic success, talent, and character through objective and subjective merit (Bastedo et al, 2019). Objective merit is defined as a culminating criteria of an applicant's academic accomplishment, including high school grades, rank, and standardized test scores (i.e., SAT and ACT), which can be evaluated using a rank order measure (Park & Liu, 2014). Subjective merit refers to the evaluation of achievements or experiences that cannot be objectively assessed, including letters of recommendations and personal statements written by candidates (Warren, 2013).…”

“…Selective college admission is a field of practice and research that interrogates the association between merit and race in the broader struggle for equal access to higher education (Arcidiacono et al, 2020;Bastedo et al, 2019;Espenshade et al, 2004;Karabel, 2005;Park & Liu, 2014;Posselt et al, 2012;Rosinger et al, 2020;Warikoo, 2016). The selective college admission process is understood as a merit-based process where applicants' scholastic and extracurricular engagements and their self-presentations are evaluated for their entry (Bastedo et al, 2019).…”

“…Selective college admission also serves as a space for RMAs' struggle for equal access to higher education (Karabel, 2005;McCleary-Gaddy & Miller, 2018;Warikoo, 2016). Research in selective college admission has revealed evidence of racial preferencing (Espenshade & Chung, 2005;Karabel, 2005;Park & Liu, 2014). Conceptually, studies on the role of race in the selective college admission field show that applicants' demographics are an important strategic consideration in admissions counselors' evaluative process (e.g., due to pressure to meet institution goals, such as revenue and prestige) (Espenshade & Chung, 2005;Park & Liu, 2014;Ward, 2020;Warikoo, 2016).…”

“…Traditionally, admission and access to selective universities has been dominated by White applicants (Karabel, 2005). In an effort to address racial inequity in access, admissions have instituted a colorblind approach to assessing the merit of applicants (Carbado & Harris, Kirkland & Hansen, 2011;Park & Liu, 2014). However, the focus has emphasized merit at the exclusion of race, to reduce the influence of dominant racial privilege (Carbado & Harris, 2008;Karabel, 2005;Warikoo, 2016).…”

Count Me In!: Ethnic Data Disaggregation Advocacy, Racial Mattering, and Lessons for Racial Justice Coalitions

“…We argue that they have choices in how they may shape their role and positionality in debates over racialized policies. For example, while Asian Americans have historically defended affirmative action and contested portrayals of the policy harming them, some Asian Americans more recently have voluntarily played a supporting role in advancing racial wedge politics in their efforts to roll back affirmative action in college admissions (Park & Liu, 2014;Poon & Segoshi, in press). Such choices reflect confrontations with questions of "when and where" racially minoritized and engendered peoples can enter "into the American community" and public consciousness (Okihiro, 1994, p. 7).…”