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LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS National Office |
2000 L Street, NW, Suite 610 PRESS RELEASE |
| For Immediate Release January 16, 2003 |
Contact: Lorraine Quiroga |
Washington, DC-The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) today is strongly disappointed by the Bush administration's decision to oppose the University of Michigan's admissions policy. The President's decision to file an opposing brief to the case opens the door for the elimination of affirmative action nationwide. Although the administration is reported as not wanting to address the Supreme Court decision on the 1978 University of California vs. Bakke case, which allows race to be taken into account in university admissions in order to enhance diversity in the student body, the administration's belief that race should not be directly considered in admissions processes has the same effect. It is as of yet unclear whether the administration will say that under some cases diversity is a compelling interest, or not. If race is not considered a compelling interest in any case, then the Supreme Court may feel that it can simply eliminate attention to race across the board - in schools, the workplace, and government.
"I believe that the president's decision signals a dangerous precedent that could potentially set back the Hispanic community for decades in terms of access to higher learning across the country and a reversing of civil rights gains that will reverse the promise this country offers. Given our high dropout rates and low college completion levels - only 10.6 percent of Latinos hold a bachelor's degree - it is critical that our young people have as much access to university studies as possible," LULAC National President, Hector Flores said. "LULAC firmly believes that affirmative action is still necessary to level the playing field and achieve diversity goals."
Race and ethnicity continue to be factors in society. Students of color - particularly Hispanic students - are de facto segregated in school districts across the country - ethnically, socio-economically, and increasingly linguistically. LULAC strongly supports the University of Michigan admissions policy and believes that it is fair and necessary for the diversification of the student body on their campus, especially given that Hispanics represent less than five percent of the state of Michigan's population. The admissions qualification process includes many categories that assess a student's potential and life experiences, along with their socio-economic profile, their athletic profile, and their grades - the latter of which account for 80 points. When adding the total number of possible points related to grades, test scores, curriculum and school attended equals a maximum possible total of 110 points - or the bulk of the scoring system.
"The president's stress on equating Michigan's policy with that of racial quotas is illogical and fundamentally flawed. The argument of quotas is dated and does not apply in this case," Flores added. "The president was right about one thing: we must still struggle with overcoming the scars of discrimination. Only time and a significant effort to level the playing field will heal them."
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health, and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.