Dismantle ‘model minority’ stereotype

As an Asian American woman, I support ACA5 because I believe that affirmative action helps even out the playing field. I hope that one day our country no longer requires affirmative action.

But until we reach that day, I don’t believe that pitting minority groups against one another benefits anyone. There’s a belief in the Asian American community that your application will be held to a higher standard by colleges if you identify as Asian.

The Asian “model minority” stereotype is what unfortunately fuels this perception and has created the beast of higher expectations that the Asian American community complains about today.

From reading the legislation, ACA5 will simply allow ethnicity to be one of the factors considered as a part of a complete application package. The Asian American community should focus on fighting the harmful “model minority” stereotype, not affirmative action.

Niyati Narang, San Mateo