America today is obsessed with racial victimhood. From the “mostly peaceful” summer of violence to the attempts to change the date of our nation’s founding, America’s all-consuming racial obsession is clear. Common sense measures like voter ID are decried as “racist,” our police forces are smeared based on lies, and absurd hate hoaxes are gleefully gobbled up by the media in the hopes of sowing division — presumably because genuine instances of racial antagonism in America are actually pretty rare.
But this racial obsession, curiously enough, does not extend to all groups — even those who face genuine discrimination in the public square.
George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm that “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” That quote seems to apply to the nation’s current discourse: all racial groups are equal, but some are more equal than others. Asian Americans have unluckily fallen into the “less equal than others” category, evidenced in two major ways: the proliferation of anti-Asian hate crimes and the continued practice of affirmative action throughout our university system.
Attacks on Asian Americans have exploded since 2020. One in six Asian Americans reported experiencing a hate crime just last year, and anti-Asian hate crime has increased a stunning 339%, particularly in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, all of which surpassed their record numbers. This has received little attention from most of the media, despite a clear case of victimization based on race. But anti-Asian discrimination isn’t just happening in the streets — it is practiced by our publicly funded institutions and enshrined into law, too.
Despite the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition on discrimination on the basis of race, the Supreme Court has held that colleges and universities are allowed to consider race as a factor in college admissions. This amounts to nothing less than state-sanctioned discrimination against Asian Americans — and to a lesser degree, whites — all because of the color of their skin. As a result, Asian and white Americans consistently must work harder and perform better than their counterparts just to be afforded the same educational opportunities. For example, research indicates that Asian Americans have to score about 140 points higher than white students, 270 points higher than Hispanic students, and 450 points higher than African American students just to have an equal chance at gaining admission to Harvard University.
Another study likewise illustrates that an Asian American applicant in the fourth highest decile has about a 6% chance of getting admitted to the University of North Carolina, compared to a 58% chance if they are black. The study also shows that an out-of-state white male with a 10% chance at admission would have a 98% chance of acceptance if he applied as a black male — all sanctioned by the cover of the law. This all goes to demonstrate that the public hysteria surrounding “racism” doesn’t come from a genuine concern with ensuring the equality of all people or guaranteeing the equal rights of all citizens. Instead, this is the creed of a political mafia, aimed at crushing dissent and intimidating anyone who dares challenge their narrative.
The U.S. Constitution guarantees equal protection of the laws for all our citizens — including Asian Americans. When racially motivated hate crimes and discrimination against a particular group are allowed to proliferate, that represents a breakdown of the very promise of America.
Luckily, the Supreme Court has an opportunity to correct the injustice of affirmative action in college admissions. In late October, the court heard two separate cases challenging the consideration of race in college admissions. All Americans should earnestly hope that the Supreme Court rejects the argument that race is a valid criterion for admission standards, and instead upholds America’s promise of equal opportunity and rights under the law.
Our founding documents guarantee us equal rights as citizens — not as whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, or any other racial group, but as Americans. That is how we put aside our differences and unite as one people. If we don’t reject our current race obsession, some animals will forever remain more equal than others.
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Dr. Ben Carson is the Founder of the American Cornerstone Institute. Previously, he worked as a world-renowned neurosurgeon and served as the 17th Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
