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Another week, another wave of controversy surrounding American education. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to ban affirmative action in university admissions, the education department has opened a civil rights investigation into Harvard University’s admission policy. This move comes amid allegations of discrimination against black, Hispanic, and Asian applicants due to a preference for the relatives of alumni and donors.
This has ignited parental and political angst, which is likely to escalate as the next round of university applications and the 2024 presidential election approaches.
However, it’s worth exploring a different perspective on this saga. Let’s turn our attention to public high schools in Silicon Valley districts like Cupertino, where Apple is based. Over a decade ago, reports emerged of “white flight” in these areas, referring to Caucasian families withdrawing their children from public schools due to concerns of being outperformed by Asian-American students.
At the time, local officials downplayed these reports, claiming there was little empirical evidence to support such claims. However, this month, economists Leah Platt Boustan, Christine Cai, and Tammy Tseng published a data-driven study on the issue, confirming the existence of “white flight.”
Their research, which analyzed data from 2000 to 2016 in high socio-economic status Californian suburbs, found that for each new Asian student enrolled, 0.6 white students withdrew. Adjusting for demographic factors, they observed an average of 1.5 white students leaving for every Asian student entering. This rate of “white flight” is similar to the flight seen in other populations. While factors within America’s public school system may contribute to this trend, it appears that education plays a significant role. White parents want their children to attend schools where they can excel and have a better chance of entering California universities, which prioritize class ranking in admissions.
This pattern is noteworthy for several reasons. Firstly, it challenges the assumption that the “minority” label equates to disadvantage. Economic disparities often dictate outcomes. Notably, Asian-Americans were plaintiffs in the recent Supreme Court case, claiming discrimination against them. Secondly, it highlights how racial concerns in American universities start at a young age, with high school rankings influencing admissions. Lastly, it demonstrates the difficulty of creating a fair and diverse education system when savvy parents can exploit opportunities.
In theory, the presence of highly intelligent children of any race in public schools should be celebrated. However, parents may anticipate heightened competition for elite jobs in the future. Research on inequality reveals that the wage premium for “abstract cognitive” jobs compared to routine cognitive occupations has increased from 1.5 to 1.9 times over the past 50 years. Therefore, the emergence of this pattern in the suburbs surrounding Apple’s headquarters is symbolic of the tensions that will continue to plague American education.
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