Harvard teaches America a lesson in diversity -- without discriminating

The plaintiffs were a group of Asian Americans rejected by Harvard who banded together as "Students for Fair Admissions" and who were led by a white conservative activist who has long railed against affirmative action. They were always going to have a steep legal climb.

Does Harvard consider Asian American students inferior because of their race? Of course not. Does it exclude them wholesale as a group based on that shared characteristic? That's ridiculous.

So, pray tell, where's the racism? Moreover, where's the negative impact?

Put simply: It's hard to make a credible argument that a given characteristic is keeping someone out of a place when that place has a sizable number of people who have that same characteristic.

This is the same problem white males always had in litigating claims that they were victims of reverse discrimination -- when they get the lion's share of seats in colleges and graduate schools, academic fellowships, high-paying jobs, promotions, corporate board appointments, federal court nominations -- and newspaper gigs. Victimhood may be the only thing white males aren't good at.

In 2017, Asian Americans made up 5.9% of the U.S. population. In the Class of 2023, according to Harvard's admissions office, 25.4% of students are Asian American. If you're Asian American and didn't get into Harvard, it was quite possibly one of your own who took your seat.

Not surprisingly, and in fact quite logically, Judge Allison D. Burroughs ruled that while Harvard does consider the race and ethnicity of applicants, it colors within the lines of what is permitted by the Constitution. And, the judge found, the university does not intentionally discriminate against Asian Americans.

Next stop? It's likely the Supreme Court, where four of the nine justices are graduates of Harvard Law School -- and about the same number have previously expressed concerns about affirmative action. Don't be surprised if the high court produces some high drama over this case.

When merit is on trial, fairness counts for a lot. But the deliberations must also include honesty and common sense.

You would think that the poster boy for someone who gets a free ride through life without earning it would be an ultra-connected white male like Hunter Biden or Donald Trump Jr. But, for many people -- especially white people in both political parties -- it's still a Mexican American kid at Princeton.

No one should be penalized or treated as inferior because of their race, ethnicity or skin color. Throughout U.S. history, we've had quite enough of that rubbish. We don't need more.

But let's get a grip, folks. Sometimes, discrimination is real. Other times, it's an illusion -- and a handy excuse when things don't go as planned. We have to be able to tell the difference.

========

Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.