Affirmative action, which describes a series of policies aiming to increase opportunities for underrepresented groups, has been a highly debated topic for as long as it has existed in America.

The principle of allowing traits such as race and gender to be considered during admissions, also known as race-conscious admissions, as well as the effects of these policies make affirmative action a controversial topic. Every year, legal proceedings concerning affirmative action, such as recent lawsuits against Harvard, University of North Carolina, and University of Texas at Austin, spark new debates concerning race-conscious admissions. Throughout the history of affirmative action, Asian Americans have remained in the spotlight of the debates.

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