Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reported today (June 3) that Chinese student Jiang Yurong, who delivered a speech at the Harvard University commencement ceremony, has been accused of gaining admission through connections and is also said to have an American green card. Jiang Yurong refuted the claims in a Weibo post, emphasizing that she holds a Chinese passport and has never held any green cards or other identities from overseas countries.
Comment: In reality, where competition for educational resources is fierce and ordinary families struggle to access special channels, the invisible role of family resources and institutional endorsements in prestigious university applications can easily lead to concerns about "entrenched social stratification" and "loss of fairness." Fundamentally, this reflects public anxiety over the exacerbation of the phenomenon where "poor scholars find it hard to rise to prominence." Jiang Yurong has repeatedly clarified her admission path and her lack of a green card, attempting to distance herself from controversy. However, some responses have not directly addressed core concerns (such as the substantial influence of the Green Development Foundation recommendation letter), and instead, due to the contrast between "narratives of hardship" and "elite paths," have deepened public skepticism about "verbal packaging."
Public opinion criticism does not deny personal effort but encourages scrutiny of "hidden privileges" and "resource monopolies" in the public domain. For Jiang Yurong, controversy serves as a mirror for growth—she needs to understand public demands for fairness and respond in a more transparent and empathetic manner.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833922955338759/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's views.