Activism
OPINION: The Attack on America is Broad; To Rebuff, Unity is Required
This time, the plaintiffs were smart. They recruited disgruntled recently immigrated Asian Americans who had been rejected from Harvard and organized them as white proxies. With these new “victims,” professional anti-affirmative action advocates sued Harvard for its admissions process that takes race into consideration. The white proxy Asians (WPA) claimed they were discriminated against even though Harvard has in recent years admitted more Asians than any other time in its history, reaching as high as 26% in recent years.
By Emil Guillermo
The extension of child tax credits, universal pre-K, aid for seniors, immigrants, DACA recipients — all that would have been a nice Christmas gift to America.
Instead, Sen. Joe Manchin has become the Omicron of Congress, wiping out Biden’s Build Back Better plan.
As if that were the only thing we have to worry about.
Just as with abortion rights and voting rights, the future of affirmative action could be in the hands of a new 6-3 conservative Supreme Court.
And along the way, that issue is being used to divide Blacks, Latinos, and Asians.
We must not let that happen.
In California, affirmative action has already been made illegal in public employment, contracting and education when voters were fooled in 1996 by Prop. 209. When conservatives twisted the MLK quote about not being “judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” it became the driving force behind an ideal of “colorblindness.” That rhetorical trick ended affirmative action as a useful tool to eliminate discrimination and create equity in our state.
It’s still the law nationally, however. But conservatives are pressuring a court that now tilts their way to end affirmative action as discriminatory.
This time, the plaintiffs were smart. They recruited disgruntled recently immigrated Asian Americans who had been rejected from Harvard and organized them as white proxies.
With these new “victims,” professional anti-affirmative action advocates sued Harvard for its admissions process that takes race into consideration. The white proxy Asians (WPA) claimed they were discriminated against even though Harvard has in recent years admitted more Asians than any other time in its history, reaching as high as 26% in recent years.
The white proxies lost in the district court, lost again in the federal court of appeals, and now they’re asking the Supreme Court to take up the case.
Before hearing it, the court asked the Biden administration to submit a brief, apparently to buy time. When you have a 6-3 conservative majority, the court is giddy with rollback fever. Abortion rights, voting rights, civil rights. The dance card is filled. Affirmative action — take a number.
The Biden administration has responded with a brief that affirms the lower courts’ view of Harvard’s admissions.
Yet, the new claim of the white proxies is that Asian Americans are now scapegoated because of the failures of the educational system.
The thinking is if a 4.0 Asian American doesn’t get in, then is it fair if another “less qualified” Black or Latino person gets in?
The proxies really believe that admissions should be totally numerical. Ranked by grades, top people get in. If that’s 100% Asian American, so be it. Fair is fair? Or is merit too exclusive?
Didn’t the fight for equity begin when schools like Harvard were 100% white?
100% anything isn’t right in America.
Harvard’s admissions actually follow the guidelines set by previous court precedents that allow race to be used in conjunction with other factors. Race is not the sole factor, and neither are just grades or just test scores. Or your violin solo.
And quotas are always illegal.
Admissions at Harvard complies with the law, which has long been considered settled. Like Roe v. Wade in abortion.
But the disgruntled stay persistent. And now the court could go 6-3 wrong in their favor, in what could be another beat in the great undoing of America.
You should know that the majority of Asian Americans actually support affirmative action and are in solidarity with Blacks and Latinos. We’re appalled that the AAPI community has been split, with one part used to attack other communities of color.
All this is coming to roost during the holiday “slowdown.” Let’s take the time to find and understand our common ground. Even with Omicron as a backdrop, we must stay positive, hopeful. And Merry. The fight for our future demands unity.
Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. His talk show, “Emil Amok’s Takeout” is on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @emilamok
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026
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Activism
Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs
Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.
By Carla Thomas
The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.
The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.
At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.
“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”
According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.
“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”
This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.
Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.
Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.
“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”
The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.
“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”
Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”
For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.
“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.
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