Affirmative Action Undermines True Equality, Says Op-Ed

Republican California Assemblyman Tri Ta warned that Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7 threatens to overturn Proposition 209, the landmark 1996 ballot measure that prohibited discrimination based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in public education and government employment, according to New York Post.

The debate comes as communities across California mark Juneteenth this weekend, a day traditionally celebrating liberation from slavery. Yet Ta argues the new proposal contradicts the very principle of equality under the law that the holiday represents.

Californians Have Consistently Rejected Race-Based Policies

California voters have repeatedly rejected efforts to introduce affirmative action whenever asked to amend the state constitution. Most recently in 2020, Democrats backed an effort to overturn Proposition 209, only to see voters decisively refuse the change.

ACA 7 represents yet another attempt to allow preferential treatment for government jobs and admission to public universities based on background characteristics rather than individual merit and achievement.

Proponents claim the measure is necessary to address historical racial injustice and improve representation at California universities. However, as New York Post reports, Ta contends that past injustices do not always reflect an individual’s current circumstances or level of disadvantage.

Merit Versus Identity Politics

Under race-based admissions policies, a student from a wealthy or well-connected background could receive preferential treatment based solely on race, while another student from a struggling working-class family might be overlooked. This contradicts fundamental principles of fairness, Ta argues.

The assemblyman maintains that admissions decisions should rest on superior academic performance, community involvement, leadership potential and extracurricular achievement. He emphasizes that Californians believe opportunity should stem from merit and hard work, not government-determined demographic categories.

Asian American Families Most Impacted

Asian Americans would face disproportionate consequences if ACA 7 becomes law. Many Asian American families throughout California place exceptional emphasis on education and academic achievement, viewing hard work as the rightful path to opportunity at the state’s most competitive public universities.

Policies undermining merit-based admissions send the wrong message to students who have dedicated themselves to academic excellence, Ta contends.

Alternative Solutions Needed

Rather than lowering standards based on background characteristics, California should focus on improving educational outcomes for all students, the Republican lawmaker argues. He suggests that if Democrats in Sacramento genuinely wanted to address inequality, they would invest in struggling schools, expand career and technical education opportunities, and tackle the affordability crisis facing working families.

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds deserve support and resources that enable them to compete successfully on merit, not preferential treatment that creates resentment and forces Californians to view one another through divisive categories of oppressor and oppressed.

Voters Have Spoken

As one of the most diverse states in America, California’s strength lies in its diversity. That very diversity, Ta argues, is precisely why the state should not put its thumb on the scale to reward or penalize students based on demographic categories determined by government bureaucrats.

Tri Ta represents the 70th Assembly District, which includes much of Little Saigon. As both a father and legislator, he says he wants the next generation to inherit a state where achievement matters most, with equality of opportunity rather than outcomes engineered through racial preferences.

With information from New York Post