Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor during their college days
Today the NY Times had a very fair and balanced (if I’m allowed to use the term) comparison between Clarence Thomas’s and Sonia Sotomayor’s biographies and views on race. It presents a three dimensional view of both people.
As you all know, I don’t know if I necessarily support Sotomayor’s nomination, but I do think the fact that she is a Latina will help provide a greater richness to the decisions and opinions of the Supreme Court. I think it’s important for the nation’s government to look like and to share the experiences of the people it serves. It broadens her perspective, and her presence will broaden the perspective of the Court. Against an “equally qualified” White man, I would support her, although I put “equally qualified” in quotes since I believe her diversity is a qualification.
That being said, I am staunchly against race preferences at the college undergrad level. Diversity should be encouraged, but not through legalized racism, especially when it no longer helps its beneficiaries. As I’ve said before (here and here–oh yes, and Jian Li did the right thing), race-based affirmative action is a crime. It discriminates mostly against Asian Americans, and Clarence Thomas is right about the long term effects of affirmative racism at the undergrad level–it causes everyone to question the merit of people who are “underrepresented” minorities. In the bygone era when it was nearly impossible for minorities to go to college, affirmative action made sense, and it was necessary for equality. Today, we’re no longer living in the 60′s, and supporters of this form of legalized racism against Asians ought to realize that.
This brings back so many memories of internet discussions. I remember one Asian guy years ago acknowledging the fact that affirmative action kept Asian Americans out of elite colleges and then saying something like, “But we’ve done well as a group, and I hope we’re not so selfish as to not share our privileges with others.” Right, because there are just toooo many Asian Americans on the Supreme Court, and presidents nominate us wayyyy too often.
Anyway, I liked this article because it showed that people come to decisions based on their experiences. It’s one thing the internet warriors will never understand. Hopefully race-based affirmative action at the undergrad level will someday be outlawed, and we’ll continue to share our personal stories about how we come to certain views.
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I know a lady who went to Punahou prepatory school a few years before Barack Obama attended that school. She fondly quotes a educator who once said, “if it were not for affirmative action, your class would be make up 100% of Chinese girls.”
I know, cute.