[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20312]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TESTIMONY OF MARGARET ZHENG

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 19, 2017

  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record testimony of 
Margaret Zheng.

       As a Chinese American, I may be hurt by affirmative action, 
     but as a citizen of the global 21st century, I also feel that 
     diverse representation in work and education is necessary to 
     foster a sense of unity underlying diversity.
       From this apparent contradiction of feelings, I have 
     concluded that just like how it's difficult to cure advanced-
     stage cancer, we can't solve discrimination only after harm 
     is done. Rather, we must treat the sickness of hate early on.
       In school, we rarely study social minorities except as 
     victims of history, omitting the positive, active roles that 
     females, Muslims, Chinese, LGBTQ+ persons, etc. have had in 
     culture and innovation. Liberal/Democrat students and 
     conservative/Republican students tease and even taunt each 
     other in school, and as a political independent, I often feel 
     swallowed up in tribalized politics, afraid to be labeled a 
     heartless conservative or naive liberal.
       The lack of discussion of socially and politically diverse 
     perspectives in school perpetuates prejudice and endangers 
     individuality, upon which value America was founded. That 
     combined with the inequitable funding of schools and the 
     billions of dollars wasted in high-stakes assessments that 
     label rather than help struggling schools is what caused the 
     need for affirmative action in the first place.
       Educate us holistically, on citizenship and collaboration 
     and empathy, and we will not only have diversity, but also a 
     nation thriving.

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