Jemele Hill claims Asian Americans 'carried the water for white supremacy' in supporting SCOTUS overturning of affirmative action

Jemele Hill, a contributing writer at the Atlantic, claimed on Saturday that Asian Americans helped to carry "the water for white supremacy" in supporting the Supreme Court's decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions.

Hill wrote, "Can’t wait until she reads that you gladly carried the water for white supremacy and stabbed the folks in the back whose people fought diligently for Asian American rights in America."

The tweet was in response to Asian Wave Alliance President Yiatin Chu, who wrote on Thursday, the day the Supreme Court decision was handed down, "I told my daughter that today is a big day. They’ve ended affirmative action. 'Isn’t it what you’re been fighting for?' she asked. I said yes." 

Hill has made similar comments about black people as well. After black police officers killed Tyre Nichols in January, she wrote on Twitter, "We see people under the boot of oppression carry its water all the time."

The tweet has been seen several million times over with many online reacting negatively to her comments. 

Among those who criticized Hill's recent remarks included Xi Van Fleet, a conservative activist, and refugee from China. Fleet tweeted in response saying, "The truth about the Civil Rights Movement is ALL about equality, not equity."

"Affirmative Action is govt/institution-sponsored discrimination," Fleet added. 

The Supreme Court's decision to strike down affirmative action split the court 6-3 with Justice John Roberts writing the court’s opinion, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson writing the dissent, and Justice Clarence Thomas writing his concurrence with Roberts. 

The decision removes race as a factor to consider in the college admissions process when previously it could be considered as a factor among others. 

In a separate thread, Hill tweeted about how many Asian organizations support affirmative action.

Hill then claimed in response to a reply that "Some Asian Americans believe affirmative action hurts them when the data shows the opposite. They have always benefitted from it."

The Supreme Court decision used data from Harvard admissions rates showing that Asian Americans were much less likely than African Americans to be accepted when they had similar decile rankings.