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The term model minority refers to a minority group, defined by factors such as ethnicity, race, or religion, whose members are perceived to be achieving a higher socioeconomic status in comparison to the overall population average.
- What Is the Model Minority Myth?
- History: Where Does the Model Minority Myth Come From?
- Implications of the Model Minority Myth
- Impact of the Model Minority Myth
- How You Can Unlearn the Model Minority Myth Stereotype
- A Word From Verywell
The model minority myth stereotypes all Asian Americans as intelligent, hard-working, and diligent and therefore more academically, socially, and economically successful than other minorities. It is a problematic and harmful belief that pits people of color against each other and drives a wedge between marginalized groups.
Despite its positive implications, the model minority myth only serves to perpetuate stereotypes and has a number of troubling consequences, including negatively impacting the mental health of Asian Americans and driving a racial wedge between marginalized populations.
Asian Americans weren’t always viewed through the lens of the model minority myth, but they have always encountered racism and discrimination in the United States.
In the 1850s when a significant number of Chinese immigrants first started arriving in America to escape economic instability and lack of food and opportunities due to wars, they were exploited for cheap labor and given the most dangerous work while being discriminated against, attacked, and even murdered during the Rock Springs Massacre in Rock Springs, Wyoming where 150 White miners attacked their Chinese coworkers and killed 28, wounded 15, and forced hundreds of others to flee, leaving their homes and possessions behind.
Common stereotypes the Asian American community had—and continue—to endure over the course of American history include:
•Dirty and "full of filth and disease"
•Lazy and uneducated
•Inferior and "marginal members of the human race"
The model minority myth is an example of a positive stereotype, a stereotype that attributes desirable traits to a group. Although it may be a positive stereotype, its impact is harmful towards the mental health of the diverse Asian American community and in relation to other communities of color.
Assuming Asian Americans are smart, successful, law-abiding, and hard-working may seem like a good thing because these are traits many of us would like to have. However, the reality is that this positive stereotype can lead to problems both for Asian Americans, who face unfair expectations because of the model minority myth and for other racial minorities who face unfavorable comparisons to Asian Americans.
Encouraging Intergroup Rivalry
From the moment Asian Americans were held up as the model minority, their success was contrasted to that of African Americans. Studies have shown that even today, the model minority myth is used to negatively compare other racial minorities to Asian Americans. The myth has resulted in increased positive perceptions and expectations of Asian Americans while degrading Black Americans. This is highly problematic and can lead to bias, conflict, suspicion, and harm between the two groups that are pitted against each other by white supremacy.
A Justification for Social Inequality
The model minority myth has also been used to justify social inequality. If, as the myth suggests, Asian Americans were able to succeed with minimal help and without fighting for their civil rights, that means the individual is to blame for not attaining success regardless of their race or ethnicity. This is used as evidence to deny or downplay the impact of racism and discrimination on people of color in the United States and perpetuates anti-Blackness. The idea that success is achieved through individual effort perpetuates the notion that America is a meritocracy. This has been used as an excuse to ignore the impacts of racism and systemic oppression and deny social services and assistance to racial minorities and marginalized groups of all kinds.
Asian Americans Are, Consequently, Treated as a Monolith
The model minority myth has led to the assumption that Asian Americans are a monolith. In other words, people assume that all Asian are the same. It's believed that all Asians are successful and well-off, a notion that ignores the notable disparities in income, employment rates, and educational attainment among Asian Americans. For example, while it's been shown that Asian Americans as a whole are more likely to be college-educated than other racial minorities, the data tells a different story if it’s separated by Asian subgroups, revealing that while 70% of Indian Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher, only 26% of Vietnamese Americans, 18% of Hmong and Laotian Americans, and 16% of Cambodian Americans do. The stereotype and expectation of Asian American success has resulted in increased depression and suicide amongst Asian American youth and failure for Asian American communities in need to receive acknowledgement, support, and resources, including help to counteract institutional racism at school, work, and public services. Moreover, the idea that Asian Americans are a monolith has led to a lack of research investigating the individual differences within this diverse population. This may contribute to poorer health outcomes for Asian Americans as healthcare professionals overgeneralize, adhere to stereotypes, and maintain unconscious biases about Asian American patients.
Although the model minority myth continues to stereotype Asian Americans and harm the fight for racial equality, there are things that can be done to resist and dismantle this stereotype:
1.Be mindful of what you assume about Asian Americans and notice when stereotypes or assumptions arise about a member or members of this group.
2.Reflect on the source of your impulse. Question, be curious about, and challenge your assumptions and expectations. It's possible you may have internalized this stereotype and you can be intentional about shifting it. This applies to both non-Asians and Asian Americans who may have internalized this stereotype about themselves as well.
3.Practice recognizing and releasing stereotypes so that you can get to know the unique qualities, culture, experiences, and needs of the individual.
4.Take time to learn more about the history of Asian Americans and writing by Asian American writers who share the traumatic impact of racism and the model minority myth through their stories and lived experiences.
5.Diversify your social media feeds to include Asian American content creators.
While it may be uncomfortable to acknowledge your own internalized stereotypes or racism, it is a courageous and necessary step in unlearning and perpetuating harmful stereotypes about the Asian American community and other communities of color. With discomfort comes growth and understanding.
If you belong to the Asian American community, know you are deserving of advocacy, acknowledgment of your true lived experience, systemic change, and mental health support. If you are having a difficult time dealing with racism or racial trauma, consider seeing support with a mental health professional.
In your search for a therapist, it is important to ensure that they are culturally sensitive to be able to understand, serve, and respond to the unique challenges the Asian American community face. Finding a therapist who has this knowledge and experience can relieve much of the emotional labor that a client would endure having to explain what it's like to live in the United States as an Asian American. May we all continue to learn, unlearn, heal, grow, and thrive, together.
17 Mental Health Resources For Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
12 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
15 de jun. de 2021 · June 15, 2021. Illustration by Minji Moon. Summary. In large, conservative industries, there’s historically been a trend of promoting a small percentage of minority professionals, who the...
The model minority myth is a sociological phenomenon that refers to the stereotype of, as well as data on, certain minority groups, particularly Asian Americans, as successful, and well-adjusted, as demonstrating that there is little or no need for social or economic assistance for the same or different minority groups.
25 de jun. de 2020 · Asian Americans Are Still Caught in the Trap of the ‘Model Minority’ Stereotype. And It Creates Inequality for All
25 de ago. de 2022 · The model minority myth refers to the systematic construction of people of Asian descent as representing successful assimilation into a white dominant society and as “living examples of advancement [i.e. academic achievement] in spite of the persistent color line and because of their racial (often coded as cultural) differences ...
21 de mar. de 2019 · The model minority myth pits people of color against one another and creates a hierarchy in which Asian people are often represented at the top. By putting people of color in competition with one another, the myth distracts us from striving together toward liberation for all.
