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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- A San Francisco-based civil group advocating rights for Asian Americans Tuesday expressed support for a court ruling that upholds Harvard University's race-conscious admissions program to ensure campus diversity.

Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) Co-Executive Director Vincent Pan reiterated the importance of affirmative action for Asian Americans in many aspects of life.

"Affirmative action has always been a powerful tool for Asian Americans and other disadvantaged communities seeking to reduce and redress systemic discrimination," Pan said.

"The court's decision will make it harder for White conservatives and their divisive, political machinery to blame affirmative action for the real challenges facing Asian Americans seeking equitable representation in education, employment, business, government or the media," Pan said.

Pan's statement came after Judge Allison Burroughs of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts ruled Tuesday in a 130-page decision that Harvard's admissions process did not prejudice against Asian Americans while race was considered as a factor of any admission decisions granted to university applicants.

While the university's admissions practices were "not perfect," "the court will not dismantle a very fine admissions program that passes constitutional muster, solely because it could do better," Burroughs ruled in the high-profile case between Harvard and the advocacy group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA).

Sally Chen, economic justice program manager at the CAA, acknowledged the court's "right decision," but she urged Harvard to do more to improve its commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity.

"Disregarding the context of race is unconscionable and ultimately harms our communities," Chen said.

The CAA joined other civil rights groups in January to support Harvard's practice of race-conscious admissions.

The SFFA has challenged the ruling and vowed to appeal the case to U.S. Supreme Court.