ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the admissions debate that has elicited powerful emotional responses from Asian American students and parents, and has been an ongoing front-page news story in the Asian American ethnic press for several years. Until recently, the Asian American college-going population received little media, policy, or scholarly attention, because of their relatively small numbers nationally and their seemingly strong academic performance levels. During the past decade, the media's changing portrayal of Asian American college students may have appeared to reflect a zealous search for not only good, but provocative news stories rather than focusing on policy. For Asian Americans, the admissions controversy has gone beyond party or ideological differences, and has come to rest at the top of the leadership agenda for Asian Americans of all political persuasions. Still others suggest that university administrators simply did not believe the admissions debate involving Asian Americans would get out of control or receive such prominent national media and political attention.
