Model Minority Myth

Throughout history stereotyping has been used to generalize a race class. Although when a race is being stereotyped it can be done in a positive way, in many cases it has also been done in order to keep a minority group inferior. In the article, “Thin Ice” by Claude M. Steele, Steele shows how African Americans who are stereotyped or have the mental image of being stereotyped negatively can affect their success in their academic success. In the other hand, in Jennifer Lee and Min Zhou’s “The Asian American Achievement Paradox” demonstrates when a stereotype is positive it can feed one’s ego and deliver better outcomes in a people’s academic achievements. Even though a large population of people can be stereotyped in a certain way through false concepts, it can affect the mindset of a single individual.

In Streets of Gold: The Myth of the Model Minority by Curtis Chang, he discusses the stereotypes labeled against Asian-Americans and explains how the U.S. Society sees them as the “model minority”. He goes to the core of the “model minority” assumption, and shows the reader how the media heavily influences these ideas. He shows how cultural patterns within the Asian-American society fuel these ideas. Chang uses very interesting ways of presenting evidence by putting quotes within his piece thoughtfully, so that the quotes blend in with the paragraph. The author also has a humorous voice throughout the essay, which connects to the reader with the subject as if it were a one on one

This paradigm suggested that it was possible for racial minorities like Asian Americans to overcome discrimination so harsh that it would "shock those now complaining about the hardships endured by today’s Negroes" . The model minority paradigm suggested that the failure of other minorities, therefore, due to a lack of initiative, and not something systemically racist within society. While the model minority paradigm glorifies the accomplishments of ethnic Asians and their traditional values of hard work, thrift and morality, Gary Okihiro asserts that it still "assigns Asian Americans places of subordination within social formations and oppresses them . One example of this repressive discourse can be seen in Juanita Tamayo Lott’s narrative,"Growing Up, 1968-1985". Lott asserts that the implications of this "racist love" can be seen in the workplace for example, as upper class whites have purposely created the model minority stereotype to assert their superiority over "exotic, Oriental, friendly and thus submissive" minorities. Asians are exhibited, writes Lott, "as model employees, and model minorities that don’t rock the boat"

In the selected readings that we were asked to do as a class, the most pertinent and interesting chapter that stood out to me was Chapter 38, “The Model Minority Myth”. In this chapter, the main subject of discussion is Asian Americans. In this discussion, the chapter tackles the discrimination that Asian Americans face due to the perception of media caricatures of them in the past as many other minorities have also had to unjustly endure. This in turn has made it harder for honest, hardworking minorities to shed the giant bullseye known as stereotyping from their backs. It can be noted that this model perception is in fact a stereotype that has easily hindered Asian Americans.

Out of all the races in the United States, Asian American have higher expectations compared to any other ethnics. Stereotypes can make them stress because positive and negative stereotypes both have a negative impact on an individual’s life. Many ethnicities feel like they have to live up to stereotypes thinking that they have to be the stereotype

Have you ever heard the statement that all Asian Americans are good at math and science and they excel educationally? This paper defines the model minority myth, provides historical context in perspective of the Chinese Americans and explains how these Chinese American’s experiences do not fit the model minority myth. The model minority stereotype has various negative assumptions towards Asian Americans and one of them is that it assumes all Asian Americans are a homogenous ethnic group. There are several ways how Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans do not fit the model minority myth. Specifically, the historical context of these Chinese Americans contradicts the model minority stereotype.

What is the “model minority” stereotype? It is a common portrayal amongst Asian American students that suggests they are more academically and economically successful than other races. It is believed they are more successful than other minority groups because their cultures value hard work. Throughout the Second Edition of Unraveling the “Model Minority” Stereotype, Stacey Lee investigates this stereotype by examining the population of “Asian American” students at Academic High School.

Asian-Americans have a stigma of being society’s “model minority.” The notion that is perceived of them being well off and successful is justified by their outstanding achievements and studies in school. However, Pan Suk Kim argues just how precarious this sentiment is. Not every Asian-American is well off and successful like how society depicts them to be. Kim’s main claim is that calling Asian-Americans a “model minority” disguises the diversity and discrimination that still goes on for many Asian-Americans today and it impacts many aspects of life for them like searching for jobs, getting promotions, etc.

“Hey you’re good at math”, “Hey you’re dumb for an Asian”, “Well of course he’s good at that, he’s Asian”. These are the phrases that defined my childhood and still are relevant to my daily life. These are phrases are a part of what society calls today “The Model Minority Myth”. This all started during World War II, where Chinese and Japanese Americans adopted a plan to promote assimilation with the American people. With this plan, they succeeded in proving to America, that they worked harder, were more focused on education to gain their success. While the other minorities protest to get civil rights, the Asians gained their rights by just

Due to Asian’s cultural values, it prevented them from becoming a “problem minority” and caused an argument from a study that argued African American communities can achieve similar success by complying with the rules and focusing on education (Shin). The model minority stereotypes impact on the Asian American and Black communities by stereotyping Asian Americans as the model minority which causes excessive pressure placed onto them and comparing them to African Americans to assimilate to the same traits despite both the communities being held back due being the

Model Minority Stereotype Asian Americans have been labeled as the model minority. Model Minority comes from a stereotype, a belief that they are hard work hard, and they don't complain. As the textbook says, “Popular culture has long portrayed Asian American men as geniuses, overachievers, computer geeks, or nerds.” This tells us the stereotype is that Asian Americans are smart and study hard, that are the only things they can do.

The Individual and the Model Minority Myth Almost everyone who knows anything about Asian Americans has at least heard about the “model minority” stereotype. There are different ways the stereotype is worded, but it most often characterizes Asian Americans as smart, overachievers, obedient, exceeding in sciences, math, technology and engineering fields of study, having authoritarian parenting, and having the desire to get good grades. Although the stereotype is now frequently referred to as a “myth”, it still persists in American society; it can be seen in the college application process where a study found that Asians need to perform higher on standardized tests than non-Asians. Since this notion is still kept by many in America, it is especially

Everyone feels pressured to excel in school, and this is especially true for Asian American students. The stereotype that all Asians are smart is a common label that defines the model minority stereotype. It consists of Asians being labeled as one group where they are all intelligent in the sense of being naturally good at math, science, and technology, as well as being hard-working, self-reliant, uncomplaining, and never in need of help from anyone (“Model Minority Stereotype”). This racial stereotype has an adverse influence on college admissions, increases academic struggling, and raises mental health issues. Although the model minority stereotype may seem positive because it portrays Asian Americans as geniuses, it is actually quite harmful.

Many people do not know the origins of where stereotypes come from, though they use them all the time. It is said that, “Asian-Americans have in

To some people this is not be viewed as a stereotype due to the fact it is not instantly perceived as “negative”; for those readers who delve in deeper, this stereotype outlines the educational daily hidden pressure of people from Chinese descent whom do not fit this “positive” stereotype. Every day, especially in American society, classmates look to their Asian counterparts to provide the answers to questions they do not know in every subject they take. Nonetheless, this ridiculous assumption hurts the Asian students that do not feel comfortable with their intellectual abilities. Placing Asian students as the “model student” excludes the students who actually have problems and need help that other classmates are reluctant to give the students simply because their classmates do not view helping their struggling Asian classmates as an actual necessity. By “poking” fun and bringing into light both Asian stereotypes, Yang enforces view that stereotypes are in use today.