While enjoying my breakfast yesterday, I came across an intriguing article about physicists uncovering a sonic hum believed to be caused by massive objects like black holes intersecting and creating ripples in the fabric of space-time. As someone who is fascinated by space and time and how we navigate through them, this piqued my curiosity. It led me to ponder what my potential futures might have been if I had been born in today’s world.
During my morning meal, the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate affirmative action in college admissions was announced. This ruling dashed the idea of unlimited possibilities for someone like me – a Latina from a low-income background. The notion that I could achieve anything in this country, called America, was shattered.
Being an “other” in a predominantly white, privileged institution, I was well aware that this space was not designed for people like me, despite my current acceptance. The presence of individuals like me relied on those who came before us – the first African American student, the first Latino, the first Asian American. This knowledge fostered cross-cultural connections and alliances that may not have existed elsewhere. We understood the importance of supporting one another, knowing that our grandparents could not have been here with us. It prompted us to ask: How can we support each other?
Immediately after the ruling, my college friends began reaching out to me. One of them, a Latina who grew up in a NYC housing project and was the first in her family to attend college, initially expressed numbness, claiming she had lost faith in institutions long ago. However, she later admitted that she was merely pretending to feel that way as a means of self-preservation. Another classmate, an Asian American woman from the Midwest and also a first-generation student, was deeply distraught. She believed that the decision had shattered the connection that had made us feel united.
I attended Brown University in the mid-90s when the number of minority students was so small that we had no choice but to band together. At the time, I didn’t realize that navigating white power structures would become a lifelong endeavor for me. I simply viewed it as temporary discomfort. However, with the support of my friends – Black, Latino, Afro-Latino, East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Native American – I weathered these challenges. Although our shared resources were limited, we provided boundless support to one another. We celebrated our cultural heritage together during observances like Black History Month, Latino Heritage Month, and the Legends of the SEA dance performance. Every Friday, we gathered at the minority-student center for Unity Day, where we danced, snacked, and engaged in lively conversation.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, and the manner in which it unfolded, struck a devastating blow. It relied on the recruitment of a few Asian American plaintiffs who felt that less-qualified Black and Latino students were taking their spots. According to The New York Times, this decision would lead to elite institutions becoming whiter and more Asian, leaving Black and Latino students with fewer opportunities. It was disheartening to see how we were being pitted against one another.
Young people of color aren’t simply losing or gaining “spots” at these institutions; they are losing the multicultural community that meant so much to me. Diversity will dwindle, along with the sense of shared understanding and support that students of color extended to one another in predominantly white spaces.
When I reflect on my admission to Brown, it becomes clear that I didn’t meet all the criteria on paper. I had a perfect GPA in high school, but so did numerous other applicants. I had limited access to Advanced Placement courses and struggled with the SATs. I was involved in a handful of extracurricular activities. However, what I possessed and what the admissions office recognized was intense curiosity and the drive to act upon it. Despite not having the same preparatory advantages as many of my classmates, affirmative action allowed the admissions office to see beyond my imperfect background and recognize my potential.
Like most efforts from white society to support minorities, affirmative action came at a cost. It was painful to endure accusations from white students in my honors classes at the age of 17, suggesting that I had “used my ethnicity” to take a spot at the university. Initially, it was challenging to overcome this feeling of needing to prove myself and justify my place. However, I chose to reframe it as both Brown taking a chance on me and me taking a chance on Brown. Ultimately, this gamble paid off for all parties involved.
I say I took a chance on Brown because there were easier paths available. I could have attended any number of excellent public or private colleges in New York State or City, where minority cultures played a more central role in campus life. Instead, I chose Brown, a place where it took 223 years to graduate a mere 100 Latinos. I made a conscious decision to move to Providence, which rewarded me with an expanded worldview and a deeper understanding of different forms of capital. It also granted me access to spaces, often unacknowledged, that only Ivy League institutions can provide.
Above all, my college experience taught me the value of community. While some of us were raised to attend institutions like Brown, and others were not, we all shared a curiosity, ambition, and a desire to understand and improve the world around us. These are qualities that I still seek in my relationships with friends and colleagues.
However, the gamble of affirmative action also benefited my alma mater, as well as other predominantly white, elite institutions whose very essence has been transformed by this practice. Although Justice Clarence Thomas may have never recovered from what he perceives as the “stigma” of affirmative action, I certainly have. Just as my worldview expanded at Brown, the presence of minority students expanded the perspectives of our classmates.
Despite the increasing segregation in our neighborhoods and schools, we continue to pretend that we live in an equal and integrated society. A study in 2014 found that three-quarters of white people did not have a single nonwhite friend. For many of my white classmates, college was their first opportunity to form meaningful relationships with individuals from different backgrounds. They engaged in difficult conversations about money, noise, and varying assumptions in dorm rooms and classrooms. They were exposed to different cultures through activities like salsa, banda, stepping, and bhangra. In numerous ways, the growing presence of people of color enhanced the educational experience for everyone around us.
Today, when I speak with minority students about imposter syndrome, I remind them that they are making a valuable contribution. They will likely be the only nonwhite friend that most of their white college peers will have for the rest of their lives. I know that I am.
One might argue that this ruling primarily affects prestigious institutions and the overachieving students who aspire to attend them. “Who cares?” one might ask. “If these students are determined enough, they can succeed at any school.” To that, I would respond that eight out of the nine justices who made this decision attended Ivy League or other elite schools for their undergraduate or law degrees (nine out of nine if we broaden the category to include “elite private schools”).
Furthermore, the presence of diversity has a profound impact on the research conducted by these elite institutions. Since my college years, I have met numerous Latino academics whose very existence in academia was limited at the time. Their contributions to research on topics such as Latino health, voting patterns, and emotional trauma have been invaluable.
In conclusion, the recent ruling on affirmative action not only hinders access to opportunities for young people of color but also diminishes the sense of community that I cherished during my college years. It is essential to recognize the broader implications of this decision and the invaluable contributions that affirmative action has made to our society.
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