Tracing the historical evolution of Asian American political engagement in policy debates over racial inequalities, Dr. Poon will identify and describe the ideological division between notions of racial justice and “just us.” She will then explain how the current attacks on affirmative action offer an opportunity for Asian Americans, and others, to develop a renewed and transformative consciousness for racial justice, which requires the development of critical racial literacy. Dr. OiYan Poon is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership and Director of the Race & Intersectional Studies for Educational Equity (RISE) Center at Colorado State University. Her research focuses on the racial politics and discourses of college access, higher education organization and policy, affirmative action, and Asian Americans. In August 2018, she co-authored an amicus brief on behalf of 531 social scientists in support of race-conscious holistic review in the SFFA v. Harvard federal lawsuit. She is currently working on a national study to understand how race-conscious holistic review works at selective colleges, supported by a grant from the Spencer Foundation. Dr. Poon earned her bachelor’s degree at Boston College, master’s degree in college student affairs at the University of Georgia, and Ph.D. in race and ethnic studies in education and a graduate certificate in Asian American studies from UCLA. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx