The Asian model of higher education revolves around a very rigorous exam. If, after years of intense study, you manage to pass it, you get into one of a few very upper level schools. This is your ticket to ride for the rest of your life. The prestige of your degree, the connections you make, and the skills you acquire at the school guarantee your success in life–probably in a secure and important government job.
Is it therefore any wonder that Asian-Americans are front and center in the battle against affirmative action in American university admissions? The problem for them, however, is that American schools and society do not work on the principles I have just described. There is no rigid hierarchy of universities, and real money and power in America aren’t associated with civil service jobs. It is perfectly possible to get ahead in this country without an Ivy League degree. In other words, Andrew Carnegie didn’t go to Harvard.
I expect the Supreme Court to put an end to affirmative action in higher education today or tomorrow. Afterwards, it will be easier for Asian-Americans to get into the school of their choice–say, Harvard or Stanford instead of USC or UCLA. So what? In the end, it won’t help them as much as they imagine.