Subject Guides: Asian American and Pacific Islander Anti-Discrimination Resources: Myth of the "Model Minority"

The "Model Minority" Myth and White Supremacy

Definition

"Model Minority is a label mainly attached to Asian Americans in contemporary America. It refers to the successful achievements of Asian Americans in especially socioeconomic status and education, despite their history of hardship and racial discrimination since the early nineteenth century. The term was coined in 1966 by William Petersen, who praised Japanese American efforts for assimilation [...]. However, the seemingly benign and celebratory idea of Asian success has been criticized as “mythologizing” Asian Americans. While, as a model minority, Asian Americans are praised as industrious and hardworking, they are viewed as silent, docile, and politically indifferent. The so-called Asian value of a self-reliant work ethic is often quoted as an explanation to Asians’ reluctance to take governmental grant and support. Moreover, the image of hardworking Asians more often than not ends up with demeaning remarks about Asian workaholics, who are claimed to lack emotions and social skills, as well as being politically inactive and nonparticipatory."

"Model Minority." In The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Asian American Literature, edited by Guiyou Huang, 702-703. Vol. 2. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2009. Gale eBooks (accessed April 2, 2021). https://library.umd.umich.edu/verify/fwd.php?https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3255500190/GVRL?u=lom_umichdearb&sid=GVRL&xid=455b7145.

White Supremacy's Role

It's important to note that this particular myth is created not only to oppress the AAPI community, but also to create a divide between and prevent collective efforts among other minority groups. It is an effort perpetuated by and for white supremacy. In A Critical Review of the Model Minority Myth in Selected Literature on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Higher Education, it's stated that "Many publications on AAPIs in higher education mentioned the [Model Minority Myth] MMM and neglected to account for the original purpose of the [Model Minority Myth] MMM—to maintain anti-Black racism and White supremacy."

The "Model Minority" Myth

The following video provides examples of the Model Minority Trope utilized in film and TV.

The following clip from John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight", delves into how White Supremacy created and benefits from the Model Minority Myth.

The following TEDx Talk, "Alice Li draws from research studies and her personal experiences to challenge the two-dimensional identity outlined by the model minority myth."

This final episode in the first season of PBS's Asian Americans series provides examples of the Model Minority Myth.

Books related to the myth of the "Model Minority"

The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority by Ellen D. Wu
ISBN: 0691168024
Publication Date: 2015-12-29
"The Color of Success tells of the astonishing transformation of Asians in the United States from the yellow peril to model minorities--peoples distinct from the white majority but lauded as well-assimilated, upwardly mobile, and exemplars of traditional family values--in the middle decades of the twentieth century. As Ellen Wu shows, liberals argued for the acceptance of these immigrant communities into the national fold, charging that the failure of America to live in accordance with its democratic ideals endangered the country's aspirations to world leadership. Weaving together myriad perspectives, Wu provides an unprecedented view of racial reform and the contradictions of national belonging in the civil rights era."
Killing the Model Minority Stereotype: Asian American Counterstories and Complicity by Nicholas D. Hartlep (Editor); Brad J. Porfilio (Editor)
ISBN: 9781681231105
Publication Date: 2015-06-10
Killing the Model Minority Stereotype comprehensively explores the complex permutations of the Asian model minority myth, exposing the ways in which stereotypes of Asian/Americans operate in the service of racism. Chapters include counter-narratives, critical analyses, and transnational perspectives. This volume connects to overarching projects of decolonization, which social justice educators and practitioners will find useful for understanding how the model minority myth functions to uphold white supremacy and how complicity has a damaging impact in its perpetuation.
Myth of the Model Minority: Asian Americans facing racism by Rosalind S. Chou; Joe R. Feagin
Call Number: E184.A75 C515 2008 (3rd Floor)
ISBN: 1594515875
Publication Date: 2008-08-30
"With their apparent success in schools and careers, Asian Americans have long been viewed by white Americans as the "model minority." Yet few Americans realize the lives of many Asian Americans are constantly stressed by racism. This reality becomes clear from the voices of Asian Americans heard in this first in-depth book on the experiences of racism among Asian Americans from many different nations and social classes. Chou and Feagin assess racial stereotyping and discrimination from dozens of interviews across the country with Asian Americans in a variety of settings, from elementary schools to colleges, workplaces, and other public arenas. They explore the widely varied ways of daily coping that Asian Americans employ-some choosing to conform and others actively resisting. This book dispels notions that Asian Americans are universally "favored" by whites and have an easy time adapting to life in American society. The authors conclude with policy measures that can improve the lives not only of Asian Americans but also of other Americans of color." - Routledge (https://tinyurl.com/4h7jhvcw)