For decades, many Asian Americans have been hailed by American society as a successful group of people possessing a “desirable” set of traits, allowing them to be observed as polite, highly intelligent, and prosperous.
This characterization given to Asian Americans is known as the model minority myth. While it may seem like a positive concept, it can, in fact, be a destructive one. There can certainly be a dark side to being Asian American and praised as the “smartest” in class.
After the 1965 Immigration Act was passed, many Asians immigrated here to America. They were already regarded with a high status back in their home countries, arriving at the Land of Opportunity with a handful of wealth and lucrative educational backgrounds. This contrasts the idea that many immigrants must start from the bottom and work their way up. In addition, many Asian American students outperformed their American peers in school.
This is what led to the coining of the term “model minority”.
However, the truth is that not every Asian American was able to start out wealthy, powerful, or smart.
The act of homogenizing a certain race is obstructive in and of itself, because it leads to the stereotyping of a certain group. The Asian race does not consist of only people from China, as some might perceive; it covers a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds and a large area of the globe. As of 2020, people living in Asia make up 59.51% of the entire world population, and the continent comprises a total of 48 different countries.
Along with that, the history of Asian people goes way back. In fact, the ancestors of Native Americans are of Asian descent, tracing back to 15,000 years before they began their migration to America.
For centuries, many facets of Southeast Asian history have been permanently marked by the onset of colonialism. Because of that, many different Southeast Asian cultures today are impacted by the influence of oppression.
Therefore, for one to claim that U.S. history is the only kind of history that matters is not necessarily valid. The use of the model minority myth not only works to suppress the history, but also the awareness of racial justice.
Today, Asian Americans are constantly being attacked and discriminated against because of white supremacy, racist perspectives, and the outbreak of COVID-19. According to STOP AAPI Hate, nearly 3,800 self-reported hate incidents have been documented since the beginning of the pandemic. Nevertheless, despite their praise in being the “model minority”, many Asian Americans are enduring blame because of supposedly bringing a disease over from their home country.
This is why the model minority myth can be seen as problematic. Many Asian Americans are being objectified into a certain stereotype that is either really good or really bad, and usually there is no in between. Especially in today’s context, it would seem unlikely for one to commend an Asian American for being intelligent, while at the same time throwing them racist remarks because of COVID-19.
Depending on current events, society usually changes the way it views certain people or groups of people because many of them are influenced by popular opinion, which does not always constitute true, accurate facts.
Being an Asian American, the combination of these stereotypes and recent events are still a lot to process. However, I am continuing to find ways to stay resilient and use my voice. If you would like to join the cause, a few ways to provide support include donating to fundraisers and learning about the history of Asian American discrimination.
To learn more, click here.