Alito destroys the racial preference argument
During oral arguments in two cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, Justice Samuel Alito joined other conservatives on the bench to cast doubt on allowing the consideration of race in college and university admissions decisions.
In one exchange, Alito wondered what metrics were used for determining heritage.
“We rely on self-reporting,” said North Carolina Solicitor General Ryan Park, who is defending affirmative action policies at UNC.
"One great-grandparent," Alito said. "Are you going to make me continue to go on?"
"Right, I think that as we go on, I agree that it would seem less plausible that that person would feel that this is actually capturing my true racial identity," Park responded.
Alito then appeared to refer to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s claim of a Native American heritage.
"It's family lore that we have an ancestor who was an American Indian," Alito said.
"I think in that particular circumstance, it would be not accurate for them to say..." Park said.
"I identify as American Indian because I've always been told that some ancestor back in the old days was an American Indian," Alito countered.
“Yeah, so I think in that circumstance it would be very unlikely that that person was telling the truth, and this seems true for, we rely on self reporting for all the other demographics and characteristics that we asked for and there’s nothing special about the racial identification on that score," Park acknowledged.
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Warren got away with her "self-reporting" as an American Indian for years. She was actually rarely challenged on it. From hearing the questions of the conservative justices, I think the racial preferences are not going to continue.
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