Hello readers! For my Civic Issue, I decided to write about racial and cultural identity, especially for people of color (POC) in America. Today, for my first civic Issues post, I will be discussing the model minority myth.
The term “model minority” was created in the 1960s by sociologist William Peterson. He used it to describe Japanese Americans who successfully built up their lives after World War II. The “model minority myth” is a myth stemming solely from stereotypes. It is the idea that Asian Americans are geniuses and are extremely smart; and it furthers the assumption that all Asian Americans are high-achieving members of society through not only hard work, but natural brilliance.
Now, you may wonder why this is bad. It seems like Asian-Americans have a good reputation through this definition, right? Well, these stereotypes, although technically positive, have many harmful effects— for Asians as well as other groups.
Variety in Median Household Income for Different Asian Groups
First, like any other stereotype, it erases the individual in favor for the collective. If an Asian student has trouble, it is always considered as the individual’s issue. Teachers may disregard outside influences like instability in at the student’s home. This can cause harmful self-image issues. CNBC describes that, “by positioning Asians as the model minority race, it also assumes that Asians don’t need any help, and don’t require any further examination of how their race is discriminated against.” In school, Asian students were considered to have perfect lives: steady incomes from both the mother and father, access to extra tutoring, and a variety of other helpful tools to do well. But this is not generally true. By assuming that an Asian student has everything, it causes them to feel like they cannot struggle or ask for help. If they do, it is considered that they themselves are the problem.
Pressure on Asian-American students
Second, it pressures students in this group to achieve. Of course, some Asian students have parents that can be strict about education and grades. But imagine this pressure amplified. Imagine comparing grades with a friend, and having them joke about you being Asian, and asking why you did poorly. Or imagine a teacher being disappointed because they did not expect a bad grade from “someone like you.” Even in the workforce, Asians are expected to be great and successful co-workers. All of society expects Asian-Americans to over-achieve, which can be extremely damaging to a person’s mental health.
Finally, and one of the most harmful effects of this myth, is that the model minority myth fuels comparison between races. The biggest comparison has been between the “model Asian-Americans” and Black people. It is the idea that Asian-Americans flipped the old “negative, false stereotypes into true, positive ones” but Blacks did not (NPR). Asians were discriminated against for a long time. The model minority myth implies that Asian-Americans worked hard towards their success and overcame the racism and segregation. (Which is not true in the slightest—Asians are still being hate-crimed to this day!) However, this implies that Black people could not do the same. So, rather than addressing racism, the myth states that Black people are their own problem. Why did they not do the same thing as Asian-Americans and overcome their racism? Like NPR states, it is the idea that “black failure and Asian success cannot be explained by inequities and racism, and that they are one and the same; this allows a segment of white America to avoid any responsibility for addressing racism or the damage it continues to inflict.” Of course, this idea is wrong. It is a terrible comparison only created to accuse Black people of their own racism.
Ultimately, the model minority myth is extremely damaging to many groups. It is important to be aware of this stereotype and its harmful assumptions and effects.
Sources:
‘Model Minority’ Myth Again Used As A Racial Wedge Between Asians And Blacks : Code Switch : NPR
How the model minority myth holds Asian Americans back at work (cnbc.com)
What Is the Model Minority Myth? | Learning for Justice
Pictures:
Asian Americans and their origins: Key facts | Pew Research Center
I had never heard of the model minority myth until now, but I have definitely observed common stereotypes within certain races. Since I recently did my passion blog on Crazy Rich Asians, I kept connecting it to several characters from the movie as I read your blog. There are definitely stereotypes that society casts on races while ignoring individuality.
I agree that the model minority myth is very harmful. I find that many Asian American students find themselves under an immense amount of stress trying to keep up with the stereotypes. Meanwhile, African American students try to break free from the stereotypes in order to be respected. All of these minority myths are extremely harmful to people of color’s mental health, self image, and the way they view the world. I am happy that you are focusing on such an important topic and I am excited to ready more.
Its crazy to think that the world has evolved so much, but yet this stereotype still exists. Although I and others don’t understand what it is like to be in these shoes, we can put in our best effort to make sure this stereotype no longer exists one day. Great blog, and I am excited to read more.
This is an incredibly interesting topic, and it’s wild for people to say things like that to Asian people without even understanding the subtext behind their words! I was reading into recent court cases, and there is actually one against Harvard for discriminating against both Asian and White students in their admissions process- which I believe goes directly towards this “model minority” stereotype. I found that “smart Asian” stereotype to be especially applied throughout the college admissions process – when Asian people I watched online all had extensive resumes, played an instrument, took so many AP classes and got great grades, and so much more; and, if the Asian students applying to college did not fit into that model, they had a disadvantage against other applicants – simply because they did not fit into that stereotype. I think that this is a very interesting and revenant concept overall and am excited to explore it further in your blog this semester!