Communist China survivor warns Americans affirmative action mimics Maoist system: 'No strangers' to it
Xi Van Fleet said 'equality of opportunity' is integral to the American dream
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A survivor of Chinese dictator Mao Zedong's communist revolution cautioned Americans on embracing affirmative action just days after the Supreme Court struck the practice from college admissions with a landmark decision, saying many aren't aware of the shocking similarities to class-based practices enacted under the regime.
"I think it's something a lot of people are not aware of," Xi Van Fleet told Fox News anchor Rachel Campos-Duffy on Sunday. "We were no strangers to affirmative action. During the Cultural Revolution, they had this grand experiment. They abandoned all the college entry examinations and the only qualification to be admitted is that you are the child of a proletarian class or the red class and that you had the recommendation of the party leader."
The Virginia mom continually cautions against communism, raising red flags about inklings she sees surfacing across the U.S., including in public schools.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pedestrians walk past a Harvard University building on August 30, 2018 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The U.S. Justice Department sided with Asian-Americans suing Harvard over admissions policy. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
With affirmative action, she warned that Mao's "grand experiment" that rejected a more merit-based system "failed miserably."
"After his [Mao's] death, the diploma of the students were no longer acknowledged… People have to know that affirmative action is based on the Marxist ideology of equity, and it has everything against the meritocracy, which is based on the American founding principle that everyone should enjoy the equality of opportunity."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The high court's decision came as consequence of allegedly discriminatory practices against high-achieving Asian-American students who struggled to get accepted to elite universities because of racial quotas.
ASIAN-AMERICAN STUDENT WITH 1590 SAT SCORE REJECTED BY 6 ELITE COLLEGES, BLAMES AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
A view of the Old Well on campus of the University of North Carolina on June 6, 2012 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Lance King/Replay Photos via Getty Images)
Students for Fair Admissions, the plaintiff in cases against Harvard University and The University of North Carolina, alleged Harvard's race-based admissions practices violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act while UNC's case looked at the school's unwillingness to adopt a "race-neutral alternative."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Van Fleet said she was happy with Thursday's ruling, adding that she went to the site to celebrate with other Asian Americans after it was announced.
"It is not just a victory for the Asian Americans who are the main victim of affirmative action, but it is for all Americans. It's really the victory for the American dream, our cherished belief that anyone can make it here in America through hard work and the merit and despite your religion, ethnicity and race. And that's the dream we should preserve. And this ruling helps us to preserve the dream for the generations to come."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The court's 6-3 decision to slash affirmative action from college admissions could have implications for years to come, including for students like Georgia Tech's Jon Wang, who was denied admission to six elite colleges despite having a near-perfect SAT score.
Prior to applying, Wang said his friends and counselors warned him getting accepted as an Asian-American student would be a challenge. Still, he said, he is determined to fight for future generations of Asian-American applicants.
"I feel like, if I'm looking back, 10 or 20 years from now, if I didn't do it [speak up], I'd be pretty upset with myself," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}