The Role of Race in College Admissions

Re the Supreme Court agreeing to rule on whether colleges may consider students’ race in deciding admissions, Dec. 3: The court accepted two cases from the University of Michigan, which gives “bonus points” to black and Hispanic applicants. However, the term “Hispanic” is not based on race but is a classification based on language; Hispanics are from all races.

If the court rules that “race” should be a factor in determining college admissions, are white Hispanics not going to be given points because they are white? On the other hand, if the court determines that race should not be a factor, are the white Hispanics supposed to benefit as opposed to Hispanics of other races? Should not the issue be whether disadvantaged students of any race should be given some priority in admissions?

Al Bolanos

San Diego

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Re “Back to the Admissions Morass,” Commentary, Dec. 4: In the Supreme Court’s Bakke decision, only Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. concluded that race could be used to obtain a heterogeneous student body. Powell’s diversity rationale was not binding precedent because it has never represented the view of a majority of the Supreme Court in Bakke or any other case.

Stuart Shelby

Santa Monica