Asians are incredibly dedicated to eduction, spending significant parts of family income for tutoring and test preparation.    They are more rigorous than white Americans as well.     Asian cultures respects education as a way to move the family forward.     Not many US families have that sense of shared destiny and support between generations.    

 Kids born to different circumstance are blessed, or vunerable to the circumstance of the adult world around them.   The American black lineage to their family was severed more than once by circumstances beyond their control.  I think you start there when looking at the community problems with persistent poverty, crime, addiction, violence, one parent.    How many white kids coming out of those circumstances do well?   

Affirmative action was party seen as reparations.   But if you goal is to provide equality in education what would you do?  An 18 year old kid can't change her past.    It wasn't perfect but it opened up a lot of opportunit