(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Both Harrison Chen and Thang Diep graduated No. 1 from public high schools. Both excelled in extracurricular activities and scored high on their college admissions tests. And both are Asian American.
But the similarities stop there.
Chen, who was raised by middle-class Chinese immigrants outside Raleigh, N.C., was rejected by Harvard University. Diep, a Vietnamese immigrant who grew up in a working-class family in Reseda, got in.
Their experiences have left them with distinct feelings about affirmative action and a federal lawsuit against Harvard that puts Asian Americans at the center of one of the most contentious issues in higher education.
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