California is probably one of the most richly diverse societies on the globe. That is one of several reasons that I enjoy living here. The population reflects ancestry with all corners of the earth. It has reached the point where no single population group holds a clear majority. This is producing a complex shifting of political alliances that likely provide a glimpse of things to come in other places as the tides of global population create demographic change. Presently there is a boiling controversy over a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would reinstate affirmative action in college admissions. Various groups that are typically considered to be minorities on a national level are finding themselves in opposition to each other. Voters passed proposition 209 in 1996 which banned the affirmative action admission programs.
Affirmative action debate create rifts in ethnic communities
The backlash by Chinese-American activists against a measure aimed at restoring affirmative action in the admissions process at California's public universities has set off political fisticuffs between ethnic groups accustomed to battling side-by-side.
In a state where Latinos -- most of whom support SCA5, the proposed constitutional amendment -- are about to become the largest ethnic group but where Asian-Americans take up nearly 40 percent of all University of California slots, the clash puts a spotlight on an evolving political landscape in which members of minority groups now overwhelmingly make up the majority of the state's population.
One thing that is revealed by this controversy is the problems that arise from using broad geographical designations like Asian American and African American to lump together populations of diverse cultural backgrounds and economic interests. This difficulty results from the fact that the notion of dividing humanity into racial groups is entirely a social construct based on prejudice rather than scientifically definable biology. However, the historical prejudice and discrimination that has attempted to create and enforce such groupings makes it compellingly necessary to address the disabilities that continue to be imposed on certain minorities.
In California there are multiple cultural groups lumped together under the category of Asian. The typical designation of these groups include: Chinese, Korean, Indian/Pakistani, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino and Pacific Islanders. Of course these groupings break down on particular issues. It turns out that the Filipinos have a good bit more in common with the Latinos than they do with the Chinese.
There are even schisms within the Asian-American community, where anger is directed at Chinese-Americans who say they support affirmative action in hiring, but fear its application at elite UC schools such as UC Berkeley and UCLA, which now admit fewer than one in five in-state freshman applicants. They say the policy will take precious university spots from their children and give them to Latinos, blacks and students from other Asian and Pacific Islander groups who currently have difficulty gaining access to state schools.
These divisions are not going unnoticed by the major political parties in a state where Democrats have traditionally enjoyed a strong advantage.
California Democrats clearly are worried that the controversy might cause significant numbers of Asian-Americans -- who now vote solidly Democratic -- to turn to the Republican Party. And the GOP has extended a welcome mat.
This graphic provides a good picture of what is happening with admissions to the University of California.
This same picture washes over into employment in the high competitive tech industry. It is generally dominated by young white males. The one major exception to this picture is the presence of a significant number of Chinese and Indian males. The tech industry finds it convenient to use this group as a defense against a lack of diversity.
California ranks in the top ten when states are ranked by income inequality. As in most of the rest of the country, poverty is concentrated in specific ethnic groups. In California it is Latinos.
Since 1970s when affirmative action first became a topic of political debate there have been claims that by simply eliminating the de jure forms of discrimination everybody would in time catch up and it would all even out. There was really no need for programs that constituted reverse discrimination and created political divisiveness. Well things have not quite worked out that way. The problem is that effort to pretend that we have become a racially blind society has simply worked to preserve much of the power and privilege that has always existed.
Chinese and Japanese Americans most certainly have a history of enduring serious racial discrimination and abuse. It is a history that is not widely known outside the west coast. The Chinese in particular have placed great emphasis on a culture that highly values and promotes academic achievement for children. That has clearly produced useful results. However, they still face some obstacles in employment when it comes to what is often termed the glass ceiling.
The politics in Sacramento over SCA5 are getting raucous. Latinos have gained some important political leverage including the speakership of the assembly. Sen. Leland Yee who has been a major advocate for Chinese interest is on suspension from office because of an indictment for political corruption. One thing is certain about life in California. It is never dull.