U.S. affirmative action cases raise fear of backlash on Asian Americans

Conservative-majority Supreme Court expected to deliver decision next summer

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Asian American students join a rally with other activists as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on a pair of cases that could decide the future of affirmative action in college admissions, in Washington on Oct. 31. © AP

TOMOKO ASHIZUKA, Nikkei staff writer

November 25, 2022 23:39 JST

WASHINGTON -- As the fate of affirmative action in U.S. college admissions appears in danger after conservative Supreme Court justices signaled they were ready to end it, there are concerns Asian Americans could face a backlash from the case.

In two cases to dismantle race-conscious admissions, Asian Americans and white people are presented as victims of affirmative action by a conservative group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) against Harvard and the University of North Carolina.