最高法院复审平权法案

Affirmative Action Case Returns to the Supreme¹ Court 最高法院复审平权法案

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

The United States Supreme Court said last week it will re-hear arguments on a controversial college admissions policy. The case involves affirmative action, the custom of helping² groups that have been treated unfairly in the past.

The Supreme Court plans to hear the case of Abigail Fisher for the second time. Ms. Fisher, a white female, was denied admission to the University of Texas at Austin in 2008. She says the university’s affirmative action policy discriminated⁴ against her and other white applicants⁵.

Ms. Fisher took legal action against the University of Texas. Her case went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. The court sent the case back to a lower court, which supported the university.

In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that schools can consider an applicant’s race as part of their admissions decisions. The court’s majority said that schools have a “compelling interest” in having a racially-mixed student population.

Michael Yaki is a member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. He says affirmative action is a good thing. He says race should not prevent someone from getting into a university. But he thinks it should be a consideration when university officials want to create balance in a class.

In his words, “Our nation is stronger when people from diverse cultures and diverse backgrounds can work, live and study together.” He adds that affirmative action will “benefit the society and benefit our future.” Supporters say affirmative action is needed to increase economic and other opportunities for some minority groups.

Tom Fitton is president of Judicial⁶ Watch, a policy group in Washington D.C. He says colleges should make decisions based only on a student’s ability or merit. He says race-based admissions programs are a violation⁷ of the U.S. Constitution.

“People are harmed by these decisions,” he says, “because for every person who gets in because they are a minority, there is someone who may be left out because they are not.”

Mr. Fitton says affirmative action hurts Asian-American students. The 2010 Census⁸ found that Asian Americans make up about six percent of the U.S. population. But they make up about 40 percent of the undergraduate students at the University of California at Berkeley. At Harvard University, 20 percent of the first-year students are Asian. Some people say the percentage of Asian students at top U.S. universities would be even higher without affirmative action.

“The Asian American community gets harmed by this, because their educational achievements make them excellent candidates, if it was just based on merit,” Mr. Fitton says.

A group of Asian organizations complained to the Justice and Education Departments. They said Harvard University discriminates⁹ against Asian Americans in its admission process. Commissioner¹⁰ Yaki does not think Harvard “systematically” discriminates against them. He says the university does not set firm target numbers for the number of Asians it will accept.

In 1978, the Supreme Court ruled that racial quotas¹² are illegal in employment and college admissions.

Abigail Fisher now works at a finance company after completing studies at Louisiana State University. The Supreme Court will hear her case against the University of Texas in October. The Court’s decision could have a major effect on the diversity of U.S. college classrooms in the future.

Words in This Story

controversial – adj. relating to or causing much discussion, disagreement, or argument

affirmative action – n. the custom of improving the educational and job opportunities of members of groups that have not been treated fairly in the past because of their race, sex, etc.

discriminate³ – v. to unfairly treat a person or group of people differently from other people or groups

merit – n. the quality of being good, important, or useful

racial quota¹¹ – n. a numerical requirement for hiring, promoting, admitting and/or graduating members of a particular racial group

complain – v. to report that you are unhappy or sick, or that you do not like something

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 discriminate   

v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待

参考例句：

• You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
• They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。

4 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

5 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

6 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

7 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

8 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

9 discriminates   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的第三人称单数 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• The new law discriminates against lower-paid workers. 这条新法律歧视低工资的工人。
• One test governs state legislation that discriminates against interstate commerce. 一个检验约束歧视州际商业的州立法。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

11 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

12 quotas   

（正式限定的）定量( quota的名词复数 )； 定额； 指标； 摊派

参考例句：

• In fulfilling the production quotas, John made rings round all his fellow workers. 约翰完成生产定额大大超过他的同事们。
• Quotas of the means of production are allocated by the higher administrative bodies to the lower ones. 物资指标按隶属关系分配。