The United States Supreme Court ruled in June 2023 that Affirmative Action policies in university admissions were unconstitutional, but more than a year later, how has this decision impacted Latino students, a community that is expected to suffer the biggest blow.
“Certainly since the elimination of the factor of race from college admissions, we have seen certain patterns that indicate that especially the most selective universities are not going to accept Latino and African American students, and this includes UCLA and UC Berkeley, considered elite public universities in the nation,” says Dr. Feliza Ortiz Licon, executive vice president of the Campaign for College Opportunity.
Although the office of the president of the University of California assures that this year they admitted the most diverse class and that there was a significant increase in Latinos in admissions for the year 2024 that began this fall, the most recent numbers for 2023 indicate that at its most prestigious campuses like UCLA, only 20% of Latino applicants were admitted; while at UC Berkeley, it was 24%
The numbers are less favorable for the African-American community. UCLA only admitted 7% of that group, while 1% of native applicants.
“Since we passed a law against Affirmative Action in California in 1996, we began to see less diversity on the university campuses of UCLA and UC Berkeley,” says Dr. Ortiz Licon.
Remember that in 2006, of 5,000 students accepted to UCLA, only 97 were African-American. So since Proposition 209, minority representation has been greatly affected, especially at California’s select public universities.
“With the Court’s ruling, we are going to begin to see this decrease in Latino representation at the national level. “There will be fewer opportunities and resources for minority students.”
Already, Dr. Ortiz Licon says that Latino students in California faced many challenges to enter university, because they did not receive Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) on time, and the numbers of undocumented immigrants who They applied for federal assistance provided through the Dream Act.
“Since President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign focused on the immigrant population, and his threats of deportation, there is less confidence among undocumented students to give information to the government when requesting financial aid.”
He noted that we have also seen that California’s public universities are accepting many students from abroad as a way to expand their budget.
“International students pay more to enter universities. Several initiatives have been put in place to have diversity among students, but minority students are less likely to get into a selective school like UCLA or UC Berkeley.”
Affirmative Action has been a key factor in changing the lives of many Latinos, it has helped them improve their communities, escape poverty and move towards equity, and the repeal of Affirmative Action will largely eliminate the possibilities for them to access to an elite university.
Affirmative Action has opened unsuspected paths for students. That is the experience of Dr. Ortiz Licon, who was the first in her family to go to university.
“I did my bachelor’s degree at UCLA, my master’s degree at UC Berkeley, and my doctorate at UC Irvine.”
The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she grew up in a low-income ZIP code neighborhood in Long Beach.
“Although I had good grades, my score was not good on standardized tests because they do not prepare you. We Latinos get ahead because of our immigrant and Latino spirit.”
Dr. Ortiz-Licon says that the United States is a diverse country that should invest in students.
“We are part of society and we are going to be part of the workforce, so investing in Latino students is an opportunity and an investment. It benefits us all, an educated democracy is less dependent on social services and contributes to the economy.
“At the end of the day we are a majority at the national level. We are the 29%. “Latinos are the future.”
Diana Aguilar, a first-generation student who graduated from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona and is now pursuing a master’s degree at Cal State Fullerton, says Affirmative Action provides the opportunity to create a diverse environment, learn about different thoughts, and gives you courage. and strength. “Not only has it allowed them to have peers like me, who come from many other places, with parents who did not go to university, they did not even have access to high school, but it has helped create an environment in which I have felt part”.
But he also says he has helped Latino students go to private universities. “It has also allowed us to have teachers we can relate to.”
Therefore, he believes that eliminating Affirmative Action will take away more opportunities for students who come from minorities and marginalized communities.
“We often hear it said that Affirmative Action is unfair. I think it is incorrect because many times universities are not going to recruit students to low-income schools that have one teacher for many students but rather they go to high schools with more income.
“They do not take into account the social determinants of Latino students.”
For this reason, he says that repealing Affirmative Action is a setback in the fight for equality and justice in higher education.
“Universities and colleges have to see how they are going to solve this and what they are going to do to find those students who do not have those opportunities.”
The University of California Office of the President announced in the summer that in the first admissions cycle after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Affirmative Action, they have led the way in using a comprehensive admissions review process. admissions to comply with Proposition 209 while continuing to increase applications, admissions, enrollment, and retention of diverse students.
“We are delighted that the University of California continues to be a destination of choice for our state’s incredibly talented and diverse students,” said Han Mi Yoon-Wu, associate vice chancellor for Undergraduate Admissions at the University of California.
He added that the University’s holistic admissions process, combined with its campuses’ deliberate work with high schools, community colleges and community organizations, has helped highly qualified prospective students from all backgrounds plan and prepare for admission to our campuses. world class.
UC reports that it remains a top choice for Latino students, who this year were once again the largest demographic of admitted freshmen in California at 38.6% up from 37.7% last year.
The proportion of admission offers to African Americans increased from 5.6% to 5.9%, up 10% from last year.
American Indian student admissions remained stable at 0.6% of admitted students.
The proportion of admission offers to white and Asian American students decreased slightly: for whites it fell from 19.1% to 18.3%, and from 34% to 33.2% for Asian Americans.
“These admissions numbers demonstrate the University of California’s commitment to expanding opportunity and access, especially for historically underrepresented groups, who make up the largest proportion of first-year students in history,” said UC President Dr. Michael V. Drake.
“We are putting more California students on the path to a college degree and future success, and that translates into a positive impact in communities across the state.”