Essay On Asian American Stereotypes

Among the stereotypes of Asian Americans, the myth of the Model Minority and Panethnic Identity are among the easiest to attribute to Asian Americans. What exactly are these stereotypes? How did they come about? Whose responsible for perpetuating these terms? And what harm are they are they doing to Asian Americans anyway?

However, the incessant hovering and excessive involvement from Asian parents can add tremendous pressure and stress onto young Asians. In the Daily Collegian News, Penn State sophomore Trevor Hsu expresses, “It puts pressure on Asian [students] themselves to fit that stereotype…they can feel that they let themselves [and their families] down because they have not achieved the level of excellence that the stereotype has set.” (qtd. in Dailey). Because they feel guilty and shameful, many Asian students are reluctant to admit to their parents and teachers that they have difficulties with class works and assignments as much as their non-Asian classmates and consequently, they do not received the support they need to improve their performance.

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

The model minority stereotype suggests that Asian Americans as a group are achieving a higher level of academic, economic, and social success than the overall American population (Hartlep, 2013; Tran & Birman, 2010). This stereotype is very much engrained in the American culture today; however, such acceptance does not reflect the whole truth.

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.

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

Hailey Yook, a student from the University of California-Berkeley, wrote a student essay in The Daily Californian discussing the hurtful meanings if positive stereotypes. As a victim of the stereotype, Yook addresses the stereotype surrounding Asians and while her demeanor throughout her writing remains mostly analytical, occasionally, her tone changes to a more colloquial, opinionated manner. In this way, she is mostly effective in delivering her statement about positive stereotypes but becomes too personally involved within her own writing.

In the article, “Asian American and Stereotypes”, Margaret Yee believes, “The joke that Mr. Kristof cites – that “an A- is an ‘Asian F” – is actually a source of pain for many Asian students, who feel a relentless pressure to live up to the model minority image” (Yee). Yee is trying to get her readers to understand that stereotypes hurt Asians Americans mentally and physically, and that is the reason they self-destruct over time leaving them depressed and exhausted. Comparing in the article, “The Real Secret to Asian American Success was Not Education” by Jeff Guo, “Asians actually earn five percent less compared with whites who also have advanced degrees – while blacks and Hispanics earn twenty percent less. Although many believe that hard work you will help individuals earn more money, Guo argues how ones income is determined by race, not their work ethic. Why do whites have white privileges yet other races cannot?

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 face constant subjection to what has become referred to as the “model minority” myth. This myth enforces both a false narrative and broad generalization upon all Asian Americans as the ethnic embodiment of an idealistic work ethic and outstanding academic and socioeconomic success. The deconstruction of this “single story” requires the introduction of new perspectives and proper representation of the intersectional spectrum of Asian Americans, who oftentimes do not fit this typecast. Perpetuating this single story, is the lack of understanding of how Asian Americans can stem from 51 different Asian countries, struggle from the effects of poverty, and also remain unrepresented in popular media.

Asian Americans are always being stereotyped, thus the other members of society may have a fixed idea in their mind about the stereotypes of Asian American regardless a positive or a negative ones. Due to the generalizations, it leads to a reduction in every aspects. Asian Americans are regarded as immigrants or the outlier in the United States, they are the “model minority”, who do not get attention by the researchers, policy makers, or

Lastly, Leung’s article discusses the perception of Asians in America. According to Leung, Asians are portrayed as “hardworking, highly educated, family-oriented, and financially successful.” (Leung, 2009. 390). Although these are positive judgments, the stereotype can make it easy for others to discriminate against an Asian (Leung, 2009. 392). Asians may undergo discrimination and inequality through their peers who do not treat them as individuals. They can be mislabeled according to their income, grades, achievement, and more. Leung points out that discrimination occurs among races that are considered inferior and superior.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website in 2013 Asians made up for 4.8 percent of Americas population with 14.7 million individuals. That population is expected to increase to 40.6 million, or 9.2 percent of American population by the year 2050 and consist of over 30 different ethnicities. Teresa Mok of Purdue University stated in 1998 that “Despite their increasing numbers and heterogeneity, little reflection of the diversity within Asian America is seen in mass media images” (p. 186). In addition to a lack of ethnic diversity often times Asian Americans are left out of film and television altogether. Media Action Network for Asian Americans (2015) recently criticized Sony pictures for their “white-washed” movie Aloha. Even though the film is set in Hawaii the majority of the cast is white with very little representation of Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders. MANAA (2015) Founding President Guy Aoki said, “60% of Hawaii’s population is AAPIs, Caucasians only make up thirty percent of the population, but from watching this film, you’d think they made up ninety percent” (n.p.). While unsuccessful in representing the ethnic diversity of Asian Americans, or not representing them at all, the dominant group controlled media has been successful in portraying them in very stereotypical manners.

As a young Asian American male who was raised by immigrant parents with traditional cultural beliefs, my experiences were often overlooked due to the model minority myth, which is where I am treated as if I do not go through similar adversities as other minorities. I was seen as an individual who was born into a higher socioeconomic status and more likely to be successful in academics. As a result, I was often portrayed as an individual who may not have as many issues or an individual who may not need any assistance. However, this was not the case, as I often struggled with assimilation as I was stuck between two worlds with vastly different cultures and values. In addition, I frequently struggled with math courses in high school, and even now in college. Moreover, even though I was born and raised in the United States, there were instances where people have questioned my status as an American. Furthermore, as an Asian American male, I am often subject to unfair emasculation in the US by

Asian Pacific American people face a wide variety of challenges and issues, mostly stemming from racism, orientalism, and ridiculous notions of "yellow peril." Most notably, Asian Americans suffer from the "model minority" image, a supposed positive stereotype that only serves to erase real struggles of Asian Americans, while creating additional societal issues for us. For example, statistical evidence would suggest that Asian students in general are expected to achieve higher levels of success on standardized tests and other measures of academic achievement, which oftentimes translates to discriminatory practices in college admissions and in the workplace. Aside from the more overt discrimination, Asian Americans can suffer psychological effects