PERSPECTIVE ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION : A Tool for a Colorblind America : It’s not the problem. Racial bias persists, and Berkeley is now more open to all while still keeping its excellence.

As an Asian American, I have endured my share of affirmative action “jokes.” Even when I became chancellor of UC Berkeley, I was not spared teasing about how affirmative action was the reason I landed this coveted post at one of America’s great universities.

Opponents of affirmative action use examples like this to argue that affirmative action tars all minorities with the same brush of inferiority--whether or not we benefit directly.

Affirmative action is not the source of the problem. As much as America would like to believe otherwise, racial discrimination remains a fact of life. Whether we preside over major universities or wash dishes, people of color confront discrimination.

In my first months as chancellor, I was encouraged by friends to get coaching to eliminate my accent. While a European inflection conjures up images of Oxford University or the belles-lettres, Asian and Latino accents apparently denote ignorance to the American ear.

Our nation is far from fulfilling the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of a country where people are judged on the content of their character, not the color of their skin.

King’s immortal words challenged America to live up to its founding principle--that all men are created equal. It is an ideal all Americans embrace. Yet it has needed redefining as America has struggled to broaden its concept of democracy to include women and races other than Caucasian.

King’s challenge is especially relevant today as this country undergoes a phenomenal demographic transformation. His challenge will resonate on Thursday when the UC regents consider eliminating race and ethnicity in admissions and hiring.

As an educator, I know that America’s demographic shift poses tremendous challenges. American universities must educate more leaders from all racial and ethnic groups so they can succeed in a diverse environment.

How can America’s educators accomplish this? Affirmative action has been an effective tool for diversifying our student body while preserving academic excellence. Yet its opponents argue that affirmative action runs counter to the principle of individual rights on which this country was founded. Affirmative action, they believe, is based on the “group rights” of racial and ethnic groups.

I agree that affirmative action is not a panacea. It is a temporary measure that can be eliminated when we have forged a colorblind society. That time has not yet come. It’s painfully clear that equal opportunity is still a dream for many Americans.

Although colleges and universities cannot correct the nation’s inequities, we can be a beacon of hope by offering an education to help minority youth realize the American dream.

It is here where a fair, carefully crafted affirmative action process comes into play. At Berkeley and many other universities, in addition to strict academic criteria, student admissions policies take into account special circumstances that minority students have confronted.

Critics accuse us of bestowing special “group rights” to these minorities. They argue that the process should be devoid of such group considerations and that students should be judged solely as individuals.

This argument, however, does not take into account what I call “group privileges”--advantages that certain groups of students accrue by virtue of birth, not by hard work. After all, the contest between white suburban students and minority inner-city youths is inherently unfair. Inner-city students struggle to learn in dilapidated schools where illegal drugs are easier to find then computers, while suburban students benefit from honors classes and Internet access.

Ultimately, we must rebuild America’s public schools. Yet until America reverses the precipitous decline of its schools, we have to give special consideration to youth who have overcome countless obstacles to achieve academically.

Diversity benefits all students. It is critical to academic excellence. Only by giving students opportunities to interact and learn about one another will we prepare America’s leaders for success in today’s global village.

How else can universities prepare tomorrow’s teachers for working with youngsters whose families come from nations around the world? How else can universities prepare business leaders to succeed in the international market?

Berkeley’s experience discredits the persistent myth that affirmative action lowers academic standards. Our fall 1994 freshman class, in which no racial group constitutes a majority, is stronger academically than the freshman class of 10 years ago. Our graduation rates have climbed steadily. Today, 74% of our students graduate within five years. In the mid-1950s, when students were overwhelmingly white, 48% graduated within five years. We have diversified while strengthening our role as a premier university.

If America ends affirmative action before addressing the underlying causes of inequality or opportunity, racial divisions will deepen. Opportunities to dispel ingrained beliefs about different races through interaction and discussion will be lost. Many promising minorities will never have the opportunity to excel as academic, cultural, business and political leaders.

Most important for me as an educator, excellence in academic institutions that must prepare leaders for a diverse world will be jeopardized.

Instead of threatening the progress we have made, let us address the problems that foster unequal opportunity and racial strife. Only then can we look forward to the day when affirmative action can be eliminated and the vision of our founders will be fulfilled--that all Americans are created equal.