The Model Minority Theory: The Cause of an Overlooked Culture?

Asians are one of fastest growing minority groups in America today. During this century, various factors at home and abroad have caused people from Asia to immigrate to the United States for better or for worse. Due to these factors, Americans and American teachers, in particular, need to educate themselves and become aware of the Asian American students’ needs in terms of success and happiness. Before beginning my research, I felt I had an easy subject: studying Asian Americans in relation to their education in public schools. How simple! Everyone knows they are smart, hard working, driven to succeed in spite of their nerdish, geeky, non-athletic, broken-English stereotype. Of course they are

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

Minority status has long since been viewed in a not-so-positive light. From the reflex many people have to lock their doors when they see a homeless person or a person of color, to stereotyping and assumptions based on institutionalized racism, to discrimination, minority status has a part to play in all of it. Similarly, many people have the idea that deaf people cannot do anything for themselves because they are “disabled”. Even though America was once hailed as a melting pot because of the diversity of its citizens, things like “you’re in America now, speak English” are said in today's America. While being defined as a minority isn’t inherently bad, it has become an excuse for some members of the majority to treat minorities as second-class citizens.

This shows the economic state of Asian Americans and the support they actually need. According to report by Farah Z. Ahmed for the Center for American Progress last year, Ahmed shares that Asian Americans are actually one of the fastest-growing populations in poverty since the Great Recession that hit in 2011. In fact, 29.3 percent of Cambodians and 37.8 percent of Hmong live in poverty (Poon, 2016). In addition, Tang Director of Aging and Adult Services at Counseling and Referral Service shares that “A lot of time we Asian Americans suffer from being generalized as one group.. Pointing out that the umbrella term “Asian American” really encompasses 48 language groups.. The general public perceives [Asian as] high education, high achievement, model minority, therefore they do not have issues of poverty and homelessness.” Tang further studies the issue of how Asian Americans have the highest senior poverty rate and the affects it has on generations. However in the other hand, CNBC’s

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.

The Asian American population is a major facet of American life; beginning their lives as immigrants they have worked their way to become integral members of society. In 2010 there were 14.7 million Asian Americans living in the United States and in 2011 that number increased to 18.2 million.1 Culturally, Asian American people have traditions and beliefs that contradict those of the Western world.2 “Culture molds people’s values, attitudes, and beliefs; influences their perceptions of self and others; and determines the way they experience their environment.”10 As a result there are certain barriers that exist when communicating with Asian Americans due to their cultural background. Additionally, Asians living in America suffer from the Model Minority Myth, which typecasts these people as being financially and educationally well off in comparison to other ethnic groups.2 Due to this Asian Americans aren’t considered more at risk for many health risks compared to other ethnicities; cultural and physical barriers act as a hindrance to Asian Americans receiving healthcare services, primarily mental health related services.

“By whom are Asians considered to be the “model minority”? “Is it every race? Is it only other minorities?” Takaki says that African Americans may resent Asians because of this argument. “Did this myth start in the African American community?” Takaki mentions comparisons to the African American community, but does so merely in passing. He needed to elaborate on this notion to really clarify his point. To me, these are all really interesting questions that would have helped Takaki in his quest to dissolve this myth, but he never asks these questions, nor does he answer them. Perhaps these questions and data discovery would be more important and more salient than what he has chosen to present. Perhaps these facts would enlighten everyone to the nature of this “myth” and seek to destroy

Statistics that support this model minority theory can be found in many areas, the first being education. Fifty percent of Asian Americans 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree compared to twenty-nine percent of the white population. Many studies have used standardized tests and school records, such as SAT, GPA, and other measures to compare the academic performance of Asian American students with non-Asian American students. Several studies have indicated that the outstanding academic performance of Asian students might be attributed to their cultural and family values. Another area of model minority success is found in the professional workforce. Asian Americans as a group work in the same place of employment as whites. This alone suggests that they have succeeded. A high percent of Asians are found at the top of professional and managerial positions. This success in the workforce has also lead Asians to hold one of the highest income figures per family by race. On the other hand, the model minority label is also seen as a myth. This label suggests that Asian Americans conform to the norms of society, do well in school and careers, are hardworking and self-sufficient. It follows that Asian Americans are a model for all groups, especially other minority groups. However, a closer look uncovers

There is a model minority group called “Combating the stereotype,” which is based on ethnicity, race, or religion whose members are to achieve a higher degree on socioeconomic success than the population average. There is a myth that other races should not counted for and the Asian Americans are successful in life. Asian Americans are usually denied assistance if they need help in some ways. When Asian Americans are discriminated their society and their achievements are undstandable and ignored. Asian Americans are percepted of high income level and

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 52.4% of Asian Americans over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to only 29.9% of the total population and 30.3% of non-Hispanic White Americans, signifying higher overall educational attainment for this group (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). However, this high number failed to consider the differences within the Asian population with some subgroups having educational levels that are significantly below the national average. The 2010 U.S. Census also reported that Asian Americans have a significantly higher annual family income than any other racial groups in the country, though it failed to mention that Asian American families tend to be larger with more family members that are contributing to that high annual income number (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012).

Asian Americans are a very diverse group in the United States, which include many races such as Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino, Indian, and many more. Birth country, ancestry, and family heritage are ways to categorize this specific group. According to the 2010 Census, the Asian American population has grown faster than any other group from 2000 to 2010 (Pew Research, 2012). Asian Americans are either immigrants from Asia or are descendants of immigrants. Asian Americans have an extensive history in the United States, starting from the early 19th Century, when many people arrived to work in agriculture, construction, and low-wage jobs. Not until 60 years ago were foreign-born Asian Americans permitted to become U.S. citizens (Pew Research, 2012). The number of Asian Americans in the Unites States continues to increase, and the top six U.S. Asian groups include, Vietnamese, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and Japanese (Pew Research, 2012). How do Asian Americans in the United States identity? Do they identify as being American, Asian, or a specific ethnic group? It is interesting to see how different people identify themselves. According to Pew Research, a small percentage of Asian Americans, 14 percent, identify themselves as being American, while only 1 in 5 people describe themselves as being Asian (2012). Therefore, the rest of the population identifies themselves by their country of origin. I argue that all Asian Americans identify differently and

A reading that stood out in Current Issues and Enduring Questions was “The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority” by Ronald Takaki. Throughout his essay Takaki expresses how although it seems the Asian minority in the United States has superiority over other minorities, this assumption is false. He touches on many ideas why Asian Americans seem superior. These ideas include: acceptance into universities, high household incomes, and praise for their entrepreneurial effectiveness (Takaki,1990,p.123).

American's success is exaggerated to a great extent, and does not fit the "model minority" most

Asian Americans are, as is the widely held belief, the “model minority” for their perceived

“The tragedy of this social compact is that it perpetuates and reproduces anti-black racism.” (Vijay Prashad, The Karma of Brown Folk pg. xi) In this quote, Vijay Prashad identifies that the “model minority” myth placed on Southeast Asians greatly affected the lives of Black People. White Americans believed that because some Southeast Asians were successful, the poverty that Black people lived in was only because their values differed from the model minority. In my life, I’ve witnessed people believing that Black people are lazy and don’t actively seek employment. I now know that people believing in the myth of the model minority contributes to the belief that Black people…