Asian Americans have become the face of anti-affirmative action courtesy of Students for Fair Admissions when it filed a lawsuit against Harvard and the University of North Carolina, foregrounding at least one Asian American member’s complaint, arguing that the universities discriminate against Asian Americans when granting admissions.
But Asian Americans in general will not reap the rewards of the lawsuit’s success should the U.S. Supreme Court decide to overturn affirmative action. The plaintiff’s use of Asian Americans in advancing its anti-affirmative action advocacy reinforces the model minority myth which disadvantages Asian Americans academically.