Post 3: How the Model Minority Myth Excludes and Homogenizes Asian American Groups

HOW THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH EXCLUDES AND HOMOGENIZES ASIAN AMERICAN GROUPS

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Before diving into how the model minority myth excludes and undermines the experiences of certain Asian American groups, it is important to understand just how diverse the Asian American population is in the U.S. 

Diversity in the Asian American Population

The six largest Asian origin groups in America are Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese. These groups make up 85% of all Asian origin groups, with the rest of the 15% comprising individuals from various other South and Southeast Asian countries.

Pew Research Center, Six origin groups make up 85% of all Asian Americans, 2016.


The Model Minority myth pertains mostly to those of East Asian descent. For instance, the “Tiger Mom” stereotype arose from criticisms of Chinese parenting styles. Children of Chinese Tiger Moms who excel in school are viewed as almost superhuman, fostering feelings of envy and resentment from their peers. Other people of East Asian descent, specifically Japanese or Korean, who have similar features and cultural backgrounds to Chinese Americans also experience the benefits and consequences of the academic achievement aspect of the stereotype. But where does that leave the rest of the Asian American population?

Southeast Asian Americans and Educational Attainment

Southeast Asian students are often excluded from the discourse of Asian American educational success, for although they fit into the hardworking category, they are often also painted as high school dropouts, gangsters, and welfare dependents. This is further complicated by the fact that compared to Chinese, Indian, and Japanese Americans, Southeast Asians have more than double the high school dropout rate. When it comes to higher education, 42.7% of Asian Americans obtain a bachelor’s degree, compared to 9.1% of Cambodian Americans, 7.4% of Hmong Americans, and 19% of Vietnamese Americans. 

 Just as with the positive stereotypes that come with the model minority standard, Southeast Asian Americans are also highly influenced by the negative ones, thus affecting their image and achievement. In fact, it is over-Americanization that contributes to these higher rates of delinquency. When younger generations become more disconnected from their heritage and culture, they stray from the values that their parents were taught. The irony is that the more Southeast Asian Americans try to fit into White culture, the less they are respected, whereas those that fit into the Model Minority standard, something also created by White Americans, are treated as better.


South Asian Americans and Islamophobia 

We see another disconnect with South Asian Americans. Whereas East Asian Americans are often negatively portrayed as meek and unsociable, those that cannot climb the ladder of society to reach the same level of power as their White counterparts, South Asian Americans are seen as “honorary Whites” who pose a threat to White power. Within the U.S. Asian population, South Asian Americans have the highest level of educational attainment of 75% holding a bachelor’s degree or more. Furthermore, South Asian Americans also have the lowest poverty rates and highest median household incomes compared to the overall Asian American population. As such, it is no wonder that South Asian Americans are held to such a high regard, being one of the few Asian origin groups to obtain such privilege of being an “honorary White.” 
However, when they try to obtain actual power in America aside from socioeconomic status and education, they become dangerous. Specifically, it is ever challenging for South Asian Americans to acquire political power. After Congress elected five South Asian Americans to Congress in 2016, other Congressmen began pushing to reduce H-1B visas that many South Asian immigrants depend on. These elections marked an important victory for this under-represented group to have their voices heard on the national level, but despite the fact that White men still dominated the government, they still feared the possibilities of giving South Asian Americans even this little taste of power. 

This fear may be related to the forms of racism that South Asian Americans have been experiencing since the events of 9/11. As a whole, South Asian Americans became viewed as "Muslim-looking groups and therefore were targeted by Islamophobic hatred and violence. No longer did the model minority stereotype provide them a sense of belonging and security. Instead, South Asian Americans began hearing the words “terrorist” everywhere they went, and even if they were not Muslim, they still feared being murdered on the streets by ignorant, hate-driven White men.


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In the end, not all Asian Americans are treated the same under the model minority stereotype. Racism and ignorance often prevail over the positive assumptions of success, and no matter how hard some Asian American groups work to uphold this standard and make a living for themselves, hypocritical White views can make lasting impacts on how they are perceived in America.

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