Mr George Li grew up in a Chinese society that he felt did not offer a fair shake. The government of Mao Zedong deemed his family capitalists and imprisoned his father. So when Mr Li moved to California in 1999, he felt he had found his American dream.

He worked hard and earned his rewards: a master's degree, then a job that allowed him to live comfortably with his wife and two children. But four years ago, he became alarmed when a co-worker told him about a state measure that would allow California's public universities to use affirmative action in their admissions.