Trump Administration Backs Asian-Americans in Harvard Case
The United States Justice Department on Thursday sided with Asian-American students suing Harvard University over its consideration of race in admissions.
The department said in a court filing Thursday that Harvard has failed to demonstrate that it does not discriminate on the basis of race. It noted what it described as “substantial evidence” that Harvard is carrying out what the department called “racial balancing.”
该部门周四在一份法庭文件中表示，哈佛未能证明其在种族基础上没有歧视。它指出，哈佛正在实施该部门所称的“种族平衡”，这是“实质性的证据”。
Attorney General Jeff Sessions added, “No American should be denied admission to school because of their race.”
司法部长杰夫赛斯特补充说，“没有一个美国人因为他们的种族而被拒绝入学。”
The Trump administration has been pushing for admissions policies that do not use race in the consideration process.
In 2014, the group Students For Fair Admission or SFFA argued that Harvard unfairly treats Asian-Americans who have strong school records. The Ivy League school denied the accusation. It said it does not discriminate and will fight to defend its right to consider race in admissions.
2014年，“公平录取”或“SFFA”的学生认为，哈佛大学不公平地对待拥有（强硬）学校记录的亚裔美国人。这所常春藤盟校否认了这一指控。该组织表示，它不会歧视，并将努力捍卫自己在招生时考虑种族问题的权利。
The U.S. Supreme Court permits colleges and universities to consider race in admissions. But it says this must be done for the narrow purpose of creating a mix of ethnicities at schools. The court also says the practice should be limited in time. And the court bars the establishment of acceptance levels based on race. The case between the SFFA and Harvard could become the high court’s next test on the issue.
美国最高法院允许大学和大学在招生时考虑种族问题。但它说，这必须是为了在学校里创造种族混合的狭隘目的。法院还表示，这种做法应该在时间上受到限制。法院禁止建立基于种族的接受水平。SFFA和哈佛之间的案件可能会成为高等法院在这个问题上的下一个尝试。
Harvard said it was disappointed by the Justice Department’s position. A university statement said the school “will continue to vigorously defend the legal right of every college and university to consider race” in college admissions. The statement added that the Supreme Court has upheld that legal right for more than 40 years.
哈佛表示，对司法部的立场感到失望。一份大学声明说，学校“将继续大力捍卫大学招生的法律权利”。声明还说，最高法院已经维持了40多年的法律权利。
The university said colleges and universities must have the freedom to create mixed communities. It said such an environment is critical the learning experience of all students.
Sessions argued the school’s use of a “personal rating,” such as being a “good person” or “likeability,” may be biased against Asian-Americans. He said the school admits that it scores Asian-Americans lower on “personal rating” than others seeking admission.
Sessions认为，学校使用“个人评级”，比如“好人”或“亲和力”，可能会对亚裔美国人产生偏见。他说，该校承认，在“个人评分”方面，亚裔美国人的得分低于其他寻求录取的人。
In July, the Trump administration cancelled a measure that ordered universities to consider race in their admissions process to make the schools more racially mixed. That order was left over from the last administration of President Barack Obama.
今年7月，特朗普政府取消了一项法案，该法案要求大学在录取过程中考虑种族问题，以使学校的种族混合更大。这一命令是奥巴马总统的最后一届政府遗留下来的。