CNN’s Abby Phillip Shuts Down Student Activist After He Tells Her ‘The Standard Is Lowered’ For Black College Applicants

PHILLIP And I want ░░░░░░░░ bring in now Kenny ░░░░░░░░ president of Color Us ░░░░░░░░ a group that advocates ░░░░░░░░ affirmative action He s ░░░░░░░░ a member of the ░░░░░░░░ for Students for Fair ░░░░░░░░ That s the group ░░░░░░░░ brought this case against ░░░░░░░░ and the University of ░░░░░░░░ Carolina Kenny thank you ░░░░░░░░ joining us Today s ░░░░░░░░ obviously is one that ░░░░░░░░ were hoping for arguing ░░░░░░░░ the rules in place ░░░░░░░░ support affirmative action were ░░░░░░░░ to Asian Americans So ░░░░░░░░ a practical perspective how ░░░░░░░░ today s decision help ░░░░░░░░ American students looking to ░░░░░░░░ into elite colleges XU ░░░░░░░░ just want to say ░░░░░░░░ m ecstatic about this ░░░░░░░░ It means that Asian ░░░░░░░░ can finally get treated ░░░░░░░░ their merits Guys we ░░░░░░░░ why Asian Americans are ░░░░░░░░ get into Harvard at ░░░░░░░░ rates it s because ░░░░░░░░ study twice as many ░░░░░░░░ as the average American ░░░░░░░░ s not because of ░░░░░░░░ race It s because ░░░░░░░░ their culture It s ░░░░░░░░ of their family values ░░░░░░░░ excellence that should be ░░░░░░░░ Those should be the ░░░░░░░░ that schools like Harvard ░░░░░░░░ Chapel Hill supposedly elite ░░░░░░░░ and academic programs should ░░░░░░░░ valuing in an applicant ░░░░░░░░ race PHILLIP So you ░░░░░░░░ argued also that Harvard ░░░░░░░░ other colleges should get ░░░░░░░░ of their legacy admissions ░░░░░░░░ also gives people points ░░░░░░░░ having a parent that ░░░░░░░░ to that school That ░░░░░░░░ not happening here I ░░░░░░░░ why not challenge that ░░░░░░░░ is also presumptively an ░░░░░░░░ for Asian Americans being ░░░░░░░░ fairly in the admissions ░░░░░░░░ XU Well I hope ░░░░░░░░ followed the case but ░░░░░░░░ for Fair Admissions has ░░░░░░░░ legacy admissions repeatedly over ░░░░░░░░ over again In fact ░░░░░░░░ argued that the way ░░░░░░░░ Harvard could implement some ░░░░░░░░ their diversity policies without ░░░░░░░░ against Asian Americans is ░░░░░░░░ get rid of legacy ░░░░░░░░ which as you know ░░░░░░░░ privilege white applicants In ░░░░░░░░ 33 percent of Harvard ░░░░░░░░ who are white are ░░░░░░░░ and they have five ░░░░░░░░ more likely chance of ░░░░░░░░ in if you are ░░░░░░░░ legacy So you really ░░░░░░░░ to ensure diversity and ░░░░░░░░ get rid of legacy ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP You heard today ░░░░░░░░ Biden expressing some concerns ░░░░░░░░ socioeconomic factors inequality being ░░░░░░░░ worse given this decision ░░░░░░░░ also presented what he ░░░░░░░░ basically a way forward ░░░░░░░░ wonder if you take ░░░░░░░░ out of the picture ░░░░░░░░ you do what the ░░░░░░░░ is suggesting taking socioeconomic ░░░░░░░░ into consideration do you ░░░░░░░░ that that would be ░░░░░░░░ to Asian American students ░░░░░░░░ well XU No I ░░░░░░░░ t I think that ░░░░░░░░ should be only based ░░░░░░░░ merit And the reason ░░░░░░░░ is because you can ░░░░░░░░ why are we asking ░░░░░░░░ university to calculate somebody ░░░░░░░░ level of diversity I ░░░░░░░░ that s a very ░░░░░░░░ sets a very bad ░░░░░░░░ for anybody trying to ░░░░░░░░ into college We should ░░░░░░░░ treated on the basis ░░░░░░░░ our merits We should ░░░░░░░░ treated on the basis ░░░░░░░░ how hard we work ░░░░░░░░ study out SAT scores ░░░░░░░░ grades and name blind ░░░░░░░░ blind process is what ░░░░░░░░ would advocate for as ░░░░░░░░ of Color Us United ░░░░░░░░ Kenny can I ask ░░░░░░░░ though I mean colleges ░░░░░░░░ Yeah PHILLIP obviously they ░░░░░░░░ about grades and SAT ░░░░░░░░ But they also are ░░░░░░░░ universities of people human ░░░░░░░░ who have other factors ░░░░░░░░ they bring to the ░░░░░░░░ Why is it not ░░░░░░░░ for them to consider ░░░░░░░░ things XU I m ░░░░░░░░ if you re going ░░░░░░░░ consider those things you ░░░░░░░░ consider them without respect ░░░░░░░░ race crosstalk PHILLIP Sure ░░░░░░░░ think that s exactly ░░░░░░░░ socioeconomic status if you ░░░░░░░░ race out of it ░░░░░░░░ s call it socioeconomic ░░░░░░░░ where whether or not ░░░░░░░░ grew up wealthy or ░░░░░░░░ is that how is ░░░░░░░░ not something that colleges ░░░░░░░░ have an interest in ░░░░░░░░ XU The reason why ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t consider that ░░░░░░░░ because you should consider ░░░░░░░░ success of an applicant ░░░░░░░░ of affirmative action black ░░░░░░░░ graduate from law school ░░░░░░░░ the bottom 25 percent ░░░░░░░░ their classes largely speaking ░░░░░░░░ we don t want ░░░░░░░░ We want black students ░░░░░░░░ succeed We want every ░░░░░░░░ to succeed low income ░░░░░░░░ to succeed But you ░░░░░░░░ to put them in ░░░░░░░░ in places where they ░░░░░░░░ likely to succeed And ░░░░░░░░ your standard to admit ░░░░░░░░ of a socioeconomic status ░░░░░░░░ race would not help ░░░░░░░░ do that In fact ░░░░░░░░ would harm their graduation ░░░░░░░░ and excellence PHILLIP Well ░░░░░░░░ the case also points ░░░░░░░░ the standard is not ░░░░░░░░ lowered because students are ░░░░░░░░ admitted it s that ░░░░░░░░ of whether race can ░░░░░░░░ an added consideration a ░░░░░░░░ point XU The standard ░░░░░░░░ lowered The standard is ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP Kenny XU The ░░░░░░░░ is lowered as admissions ░░░░░░░░ shows an Asian has ░░░░░░░░ score 273 points higher ░░░░░░░░ the SAT to have ░░░░░░░░ same chance of admission ░░░░░░░░ a black person So ░░░░░░░░ standard is lowered for ░░░░░░░░ Americans PHILLIP Kenny Xu ░░░░░░░░ you for your perspective ░░░░░░░░ appreciate you joining us ░░░░░░░░ XU: “Thank you.”