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The Retreat from Race: Asian-American Admissions and Racial Politics

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During the 1980s, there was a big controversy over whether elite colleges were placing a ceiling on the number of Asian-Americans they would admit. Takagi takes a sociological look at this issue as it affected two premier UC schools. Takagi tracks how universities pitifully defended themselves first by saying, "Well, we have enough science majors" and then by saying, "We can't admit Asians if we have to give so much affirmative action to blacks." It is particularly interesting seeing this book in light of Proposition 209's aftermath. Having read this book before I headed to Berkeley's law school, I found it a very useful guide. I think this text is a good addition to the burgeoning field of Asian-American studies.

I'm Arthur Hu, and I'm mentioned as the prime culprit in turning UC away from strict quotas. She's got me wrong when she says I'm against all preferences, I'm just for putting on a limit, disclosing differential standards, and putting a ban on strict quotas, which is exactly what Berekeley and UCLA were doing with 8%+ black and 20% Hispanic admissions, exactly equal to their stated goals. I've stashed away a few extra copies of you need them.