Asian-Americans: Model Minority?

Throughout history, categorizing people into racial groups has been a primary way of simplifying our social world. By doing this, we reduce the visible diversity of groups outside of that to which we belong, but maintain sight of the diversity within our own group. Most of the stereotypes that define these groups are ostensibly negative, such as the assumption made between African Americans and likelihood of violent behavior. However, others are promoted as positive, such as the assumption made between Asians and excellence in academics. This latter stereotype has led to the descriptor 'model minority'. However, calling this latter stereotype positive is a misnomer, and in fact it brings with it more negative consequences than its name implies. The term model minority has many implications in terms of how it is applied, the accuracy of its assumptions, and its effects.

One flaw in the model minority stereotype lies in its current application. In 1966, the model minority stereotype was specifically applied to the Chinese and the Japanese. Headlines read "Success Story, Japanese-American Style" and "Success Story of One Minority in the U.S.", referring to the Chinese. Since this time, opinion has extended the stereotype to all Asian groups. It is true that certain Asian groups such as Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian, and Filipino Americans are over-represented in professional areas such as science and engineering. However, many Asian groups such as Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Hmong Americans are under-represented in these areas.

In applying this label to all Asian groups, and on a more basic level, to all Asian individuals, many of these descendents face unrealistic pressure. As an example, consider the different experiences of White-Americans and Asian-Americans. While it is expected that individual members of each group experience poverty, the public's perception of the two situations differs. Observations of poor Whites are commonplace in American experience, but upon observation of poor Asians, questions arise. The mass categorizing of all Asians into the conception of the model minority inappropriately summarizes the diverse experiences of Asian Americans.

To a large degree, the current position of Asian Americans can be attributed to the conditions upon which they entered the U.S. Compared to earlier immigration patterns, Asians today are coming for different reasons. Whereas the primary reason for past immigration included the search for low-skilled work, today's immigrants often come to join their families in a search for highly skilled labor (although escaping war, political and religious persecution are not uncommon). A large proportion of Asians today are coming with skills, money, and other basic commodities necessary to do well in a foreign environment.

As a point of comparison, consider the experiences of Mexican immigrants who come to the U.S. primarily in search of low skilled labor. A large percentage of these immigrants today are from poor or working class backgrounds. Upon entry to the U.S., they face financial difficulties, language barriers, and pervasive denigrating stereotypes. Since the late 1960's, Asians have come from middle and upper class backgrounds. Upon entry to the U.S., they face language barriers and stereotypes that expect success. Certainly these different backgrounds and contact experiences favor different outcomes. Yet, Asian Americans are portrayed as a model minority whom exceed even in the face of great adversity. Mexican Americans, in comparison, are portrayed as uninterested in rising above their current position. This example extends to other minority groups as well, such as African Americans, Arab Americans, and Cuban Americans.

Further, the model minority stereotype may hamper cross-race relations, whether this is between Asian Americans and Whites, or Asian Americans and other minorities. While Asians have surpassed Whites in many areas, they are still not granted the respect Whites are. In what has been termed racial triangulation, Asians find themselves with more privilege than Blacks, but with less privilege than Whites. Further, Asian immigrants are often no longer considered Asian in the eyes of their home country. Thus they are left without a clear identity. They are not quite White, yet no longer Asian. On the other hand, Asian Americans and other minorities are often pitted against each other because of this stereotype. Because Asian Americans have supposedly pressed on through adversity in a way other minority groups have failed to do, they are often praised in ways other minorities are not. Stated simply, Whites ask other minority groups, "If Asian Americans can succeed, why can't you?"

The supposedly positive stereotype of the model minority has had several deleterious consequences. In addition to the inaccuracy of its assumptions, it has been inaccurately applied to all Asian groups and has severed cross-race relations. By looking more closely at the model minority stereotype, we can understand how it has developed in our society.