United States revokes Obama-era race-based guidelines meant to increase diversity in colleges
The country’s Supreme Court had ruled that affirmative action based on race was acceptable in some cases related to university admission.
United States on Tuesday revoked a set of guidelines introduced during former President Barack Obama’s administration that advocated a consideration of race as a way to improve diversity in colleges and universities, Reuters reported. The Asian American Coalition for Education has welcomed the Donald Trump administration’s decision.
Attorney General Jeff Session described the guidelines as “unnecessary, outdated, inconsistent with existing law, or otherwise improper”.
The Asian American organisation had filed complaints with the Department of Justice and the Department of Education against the Harvard University’s discriminatory treatment of Asian-American applicants in admissions. “This is a triumphant moment for Asian American communities,” the organisation. It said that the policy had led to rampant violation of race-based affirmative action in higher education.
“If the new policy is faithfully implemented, American colleges can no longer use unlawful racial quotas, racial stereotypes and higher standards to discriminate against our children,” the organisation’s president, Yukong Zhoa, said. “This will significantly reduce a major barrier in these students’ pursuits of the American dream.”
The race consideration in colleges and universities had triggered a heated debate with conservatives claiming that the Obama-era policy was detrimental to white and Asian American citizens. The country’s Supreme Court had ruled that affirmative action based on race was acceptable in some cases related to university admission.
