If you go to harvardnotfair.org, you will find an entire spiel about how Harvard is wrongfully using race to discriminate and keep some overachievers out of the prestigious university. The website then invites those who have been victims of this infringement of justice to share their story and join the community of scorned applicants. Aside from the poor writing and aesthetics, the most disturbing aspect of this website is the palpable sense of entitlement.

Asian Americans and whites who are involved in this movement feel as though they deserve more of a presence at Harvard, even though Asian Americans were the largest minority group to be accepted into Harvard’s class of 2019, according to The Harvard Crimson. Asian Americans currently make up one-fifth of Harvard’s population. To say that they are underrepresented at Harvard is simply inaccurate. Yes, it is true that Asian Americans do have to score higher on the SAT in order to snag those spots at Ivy League colleges and universities , but that does not mean they are being discriminated against. The history of other minority groups must be considered when discussing affirmative action and whether or not it is necessary.

Throughout the course of United States history, there have been countless injustices involving the education of Hispanics and blacks. Minority populations tend to make up less affluent neighborhoods, and less affluent neighborhoods have smaller spending power for public education. Because of this, the educational disadvantage that minorities face begins in elementary school.

Obviously there are exceptions to these statements. Anyone who has seen Freedom Writers or Precious probably wants to believe that there are situations in which a heroic teacher — who is, coincidentally, always white — comes to an underprivileged area and really impacts their students’ lives. Unfortunately, endless data across the U.S. show otherwise. According to the Center for American Progress, increasing the number of minority students in a school by only 10 percent leads to a 75-dollar decrease in per-pupil spending. When it comes to education, the more money that is spent, the higher the quality of learning. Schools in more affluent areas have more funding for experienced teachers, extracurricular activities and specialized programs that prepare students for higher education. The fact that adding minority students to a population jeopardizes these opportunities proves that it is more difficult for minorities to go to college or any higher educational institution. That is why it is necessary for colleges to grant them special considerations once they reach that point. Affirmative action is not discrimination, but an attempt to undo the racism that minorities in the U.S. face in their education.

Minorities in the U.S. include pretty much anyone who is not white, so the term does include Asians. However, Asians are not subjected to the same disparities in opportunities as blacks and Hispanics. According to data published by US News, in the U.S., the top-paying jobs are currently in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields, and Asian American students have the greatest accessibility to these courses throughout their lower education. This statistic accounts for a full range of science and math courses, including algebra, geometry, biology, calculus, chemistry and physics, so it is not representative of only one STEM field.

The current complaints by Asian associations in the United States do have some validity, but in all actuality, they are complaining about being rejected from freaking Harvard. Harvard rejects almost 95 percent of applicants and is one of the most selective schools in the world. Even if these Asian American students are not granted acceptance, they will undoubtedly receive an education elsewhere. It is not the same story for Hispanics and blacks. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, Hispanic and black students have the highest high school dropout rates, and have since 1972. Asian Americans have the lowest high school dropout rates of any race, even whites. If fewer Hispanics and blacks graduate from high school, then fewer have the opportunity to even attend college, let alone go to Harvard.

There are endless obstacles that certain minority groups, like Hispanics and blacks, have to overcome in order to receive a higher education that are not an issue for other ethnic groups. To say that racial profiling is unfair is pure ignorance, because the reason that affirmative action is even necessary is because of the unfairness surrounding the American educational system. No cheesy anti-Harvard website will ever hold the same weight as the data surrounding the lack of opportunities that Hispanics and blacks have regarding education.

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