The Harvard Affirmative Action Syllabus is meant to provide an example structure for a course on affirmative action. In light of the recent SFFA vs. Harvard court case, this syllabus is a way for us to explore the intersection of affirmative action and its place at Harvard. By studying the background of affirmative action, its role in college admissions generally, and the specific SFFA vs. Harvard court case, this syllabus is meant to provide the beginnings of an in-depth critique of affirmative action, its purpose, and its objectives on college campuses.
Essentialism abounds in SFFA v. Harvard as well, with the plaintiffs taking the experiences of a select few upper-middle class Chinese Americans as representative of all of Asian America. This view ignores the ways in which affirmative action directly benefits applicants from many Asian American ethnic groups, especially ones that are not thought of as much when referring to Asian Americans.
Historically white institutions cannot use affirmative action as an excuse to stop fighting racial inequities.
Students in Harvard’s new Sociology of Asian America/ns course taught by Dr. Vivian Shaw split into four different groups to focus on specific themes, for which they collected various sources. Through this process, we were able to address several different aspects of affirmative action and Harvard. By making this syllabus a public resource, we encourage educators and students to teach about affirmative action and Harvard in future academic settings.