The Model Minority Myth in Better Luck Tomorrow

The main characters in the film Better Luck Tomorrow all have different relationships with the "model minority myth" afforded them as a result of being Asian in a predominantly white school. Throughout the film, we see that each character deals with their model minority status in a different way. These different approaches lead to drastically different outcomes-some of them good, some irreparably bad.

Stephanie, practically the only female character in the film, more or less goes about her daily life without actively using the model minority myth to benefit her. She is academically ambitious, hangs out mostly with others who could potentially benefit from the myth, and also has a boyfriend who is Korean American. During one scene where she is studying on the computer in her room, we see a bamboo plant briefly in the background, but beyond that her identity seems almost entirely unimportant to her for most of the film.

Daric embraces the model minority myth in a big way, however, and uses it whenever he feels it will benefit him. He climbs quickly to the top of the school newspaper's editorial team and champions himself as a "defender" of Asian-American representation in sports and elsewhere. He is the one who writes an article purporting that Ben is the "token Asian" on the basketball team-Daric also rallies Asian-American students behind Ben, getting them to protest on his behalf at basketball games. Daric also leads an Asian-American "gang" of cheat sheet distributors and, over time, a group of cocaine peddlers. Despite his image as a defender of Asian-Americans, he causes undoubtedly more damage to his own clique than anyone else. He feeds into Virgil's need for social status and also preys on Ben's romantic interest in Stephanie (and resentment toward Steve). He is arguably the most criminal character we encounter in the film, yet he is never suspected of any wrongdoing-he knows the power of the model minority myth. He also uses this power when a white student mocks him at a party; the student is perhaps expecting Daric to do nothing, but instead he lashes out and the group gives the white kid a fairly serious beating.

Ben himself tries to distance himself from his Asian-American identity and does not at first manipulate the myth: he is outraged when Daric publishes the article, which I think is equal parts embarrassment and disbelief-he doesn't believe that the coach would be in any way racially motivated. And yet, clearly the coach is, because it takes the article and a throng of protesters for him to give Ben time on the court, even in the final quarter of the game. Ben's denial of his previous habits-he abandons his intelligence, academic tenacity, and discipline for nights of cocaine-snorting and cavorting-leads to a bottle-up of emotions. He also refuses to acknowledge to himself how much he resents Steve, who is affluent, has Stephanie, and occasionally opines that he is bored of winning in life. Instead, he goes through the motions of being Steve's friend, even though he despises him.

Perhaps not surprisingly, then, it is Ben-repressed, confused, and led astray-who gives Steve his final "wake up call". Early on in the film, Ben is made out to be the voice of reason in the gang, keeping Daric's plans in check. But as his obsession with Stephanie grows, he cares less about the well-being of the others in his clique-to such an extent that he is willing to be the outlook as they beat up Steve.

Alternately, I was thinking that maybe Ben's brutal attack on Steve (and his silence as Daric and Virgil finish him off), actually arises from a deep sense of belonging to the group. He walked into the garage somewhat disoriented, after hearing a gunshot, and maybe he thought that Steve had injured one of his friends. So it is possible that Ben's over-association with his group of friends is responsible for his violent act. It is also possible that his outburst is a result of typical male competition taken to the extreme: two guys, but only one girl. I think, though, that Ben would not have become as "off the beaten path" as he does in the film if he had not been able to hide his criminal activities behind the veil of the model minority myth. He frequently comes to class worn out from coke, and he accepts a gun as a gift, yet his white teachers seem not to notice. (Of course, rumors about his outlaw status eventually sweep through the school-but a rumor is hardly the same as being called into the principal's office, or questioned by the police.)

Virgil, as the group's underdog and a subject of frequent ridicule, seems to have ambiguous feelings about his place in the group. On the one hand, he is the lowest-ranking member of the clique, but on the other hand he eventually takes a leadership role. Of course, he gets his friend suspended by bragging too often about the group's exploits. This bragging, along with his aggressive behavior, seems to be a way of compensating for his low rank. Interestingly, Virgil seems the least capable at manipulating the model minority myth to his advantage-rather than hiding behind it, Virgil seems hell-bent on breaking it down and always appearing as a "thug" or "tough guy" to others, even to a white prostitute he knows he will never see again.

Although Better Luck Tomorrow does not always approach the model minority myth in a direct way, it is definitely there, right under the surface for all to see. The ways in which the main characters embrace and exploit their identity leads to problems, and tragedy. Even though it is not explicitly stated, we are led to believe that the "gang" would not have gotten as out of hand if they had not been able to successfully use their "model minority" status as a cover. Daric is the perfect example of this; he uses a model minority archetype to mask deeply troubling and sociopathic tendencies. No one action in the film can be attributed solely to "Asian-American identity"-but the gang's rise and fall is clearly, in part, due to successful use of the model minority myth.