The Model Minority Myth: the Danger of Being "A Smart Asian" in America

By: Iris Qi

The experience of Asians in America has been long and difficult, to say the least. One need to only look at the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Japanese internment during WWII, segregation, mass lynchings, and stereotyping to tell of a deeply racist society, an American history ridden with Asian hate. Yet the conversation surrounding the Asian-American experience in America took an entire global pandemic to open up. It raises the question: why haven’t we talked about this before? Reaching back for centuries, our experience is undeniably part of America’s history and its racial reckoning. The lack of understanding and overgeneralization, perpetuated by the American-fabricated myths such as that of the model minority, is still a pressing issue of our times.

For those who don’t know what the model minority myth is, it is a stereotype which insists that Asian-Americans are, according to Victoria Namkung, “inherently successful and problem-free” in comparison to other minority groups. It brings to mind successful doctors and engineers, of nerdy smart STEM kids who play the piano and do math Olympiad. Asian-Americans are intelligent, with a comfortable salary, but don’t seem to do much else. Although it is not as explicitly negative as other stereotypes minority groups are labeled with, it is still harmful in its own ways. Like all generalizations, it is just that: an overarching statement grounded in stereotypes. It is also far more dangerous than its docility suggests. While some may not see the danger in generalizing a community as “smart,” it only serves to alienate the AAPI community. Intelligence as a positive quality in Asian-Americans is far from beneficial. It actually detracts from viewing us as a whole person, relegating us to a single trait. Smart, but not a leader, smart, but without struggle, smart, but not cool, smart, but not like us. The model minority myth is so dangerous in its alienation of our community: it tells the population we will never be “American” enough. It tells the population to place the Asian community into a different category, one detached from the typical American life. This is its danger: it continues to perpetuate the lack of American-ness Asians have, not loyal citizens but immigrants who still haven’t found their place.

This myth carries the idea that we are a “single, monolithic group,” to the idea of a continuous high income and to the idea that we “face less systemic racism and discrimination.” The AAPI community of 22 million comes from dozens of different Asian countries from South, Southeast, and East Asia as well as the Pacific Islands. There are severe disparities when it comes to the incomes of different groups within America. Indian Americans are the highest earning group with an average income of $127,000 while Burmese Americans have the lowest with an average income of $46,000. 32% of Asian American adults said they “feared someone might threaten or physically attack them,” according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. That’s a much higher percentage from a racial or ethnic group compared to others. All of those facts, statistics, evidence, all of that truth is masked by the model minority myth. In conclusion, we can see that the long-engrained misconceptions and stereotypes are damaging to the groups that they target. Even a seemingly innocuous one such as the model minority myth is incredibly effective in masking systematic racism. This is not to assert that Asian-Americans have a “worse” experience than other minority groups or to pit them against each other. It is simply a demand to America that it recognizes us as a key part of its history and current story. It is undeniable to see the abuse towards minority groups inherent in a culture steeped with racism. The model minority myth and all other myths need to stop being believed, taking away their power and freeing the Asian American community.

Sources

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/model-minority-myth-says-asians-are-successful-dangerous-rcna420

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/25/999874296/6-charts-that-dismantle-the-trope-of-asian-americans-as-a-model-minority