Category: Discussion Board 8

The model minority myth is based on stereotypes. Many Asian parents are training their kids to work very hard and try to push them to spend more time on studies. Asian parents are hoping their kids are better than everyone. Asian parents usually choose a path for their kids, they will tell their kids to learn something that they wish them to learn so many Asian kids don’t even have the freedom to choose their desired careers. But it’s completely different from white parents, white parents will let their kids learn everything that they want to learn and they don’t force their kids to do anything, they give their kids more freedom than Asian parents.

According to the Claire Jean Kim reading, the model minority myth holds its roots in a politically charged time of American history, around the 60’s to the 80s. The forever foreigner trope seems to have lent a hand in the crafting of today’s model minority. As Asian-Americans are viewed as more Asian than American, this distinct quality means that As-Am’s hold tight to Asian values of family, work ethic, and apolitical opinions. The implication of the model minority myth is that what makes Asian-Americans distinct is their ability to prosper using their “ethnic differences” or what a New York Times article of the era called “Tokugawa values” of diligence, frugality, and achievement orientation. The creation of the model minority myth buckles Asian Americans down to serve as a foil for Black-Americans of the era. With the ability to point a finger at Asian-Americans and boost their achievements as “successful immigrants”, conservative society is able to distinguish Black-Americans as unable to succeed for ingrained reasons and due to their outspoken activism. The article “Success Story: Outwhiting the Whites” is particularly interesting and revolting in this case. “The author…contends that the internment experience motivated Japanese Americans to become better Americans. In other words, no amount of externally imposed hardship can keep a good minority down” (Kim, 120). For starters, it is purely outrageous and borderline blasphemous to claim that one of the most traumatizing and inhumane political actions of the century served a greater good in that POC learned some sort of lesson from it. To make matters worse, this statement of a “good minority” implies that there are other minorities which are bad and that minority groups exist as a cohesive monolith sharing inherent traits that determine their societal value.

We see the minority myth pop up in the affirmative action lawsuit. The AAAA seems convinced that Asian-American students are somehow more deserving than other communities of color. While there are certainly bright As-Ams, it is simply a false conviction and, as stated by Hasan Minhaj, perhaps not the hill we should choose to die on. Asian-Americans against affirmative action now seem to forget that it was originally implemented to benefit all communities of color and that we may not have been able to ascend in academic ranks if not for this allowance. This assumption on the behalf of Asian-Americans also makes me wonder at how our views of our own communities may have been shaped by outside sources and biases. If society has been fed false flattery about us for years, why would we ever have questioned it? What incentive was there for us to say, “actually, thanks, but I’m not sure that’s entirely true.” It’s this propping up of Asian-Americans as successful regardless of circumstance that has led to this entitled view toward college admissions. The referencing of “legacy kids” as another form of affirmative action is also particularly interesting to me. When we examine the percent of students admitted to Ivy Leagues based on legacy status, it causes us to re-evaluted why this has been an accepted norm for so long. Perhaps, this is the hill we should be dying on if fairness is what we’re after.

That model minority myth comes from characterizing Asian Americans as a polite, law-abiding group that has achieved a higher level of success than the general population. In “The Racial Triangulation of Asian Americans,” it talks about how Asian American and White people conflict over education, jobs, and businesses. That the myth is reproduced. That is affirmative action they wanted to get something out of it in the court and used fake information to get something better out of how others look at you. That in conversation it talks about different topics about making something higher and on race and jobs.

Based on the reading, “The Racial Triangulation of Asian Americans”, the author Kim explains how the myth of the model minority is a stereotype that separated and pit Asian Americans against other people of color. Asian Americans were considered to be more intelligent, successful, and rich compared to other minority groups like African Americans and Hispanics. Another minority group such as Hispanics may be brushed off as unsuccessful along with other stereotypes and if they become wealthier, it is more likely to be seen as suspicious and not that they worked hard for the life they earned. The model minority myth comes from a generational long line of hardships that immigrants of color faced when dealing with a society that was mostly white and therefore they had to assimilate to the customs. It is easy to judge one based on their physical appearances, but for Asians it is difficult for them since they are considered to be smart, so anything that they accomplish can be dismissed. Minority groups have many stereotypes about them that they are not seen as an individual person with needs and thoughts of their own. The myth is one of the factors that further divide people because they feel the need to fit into a certain category and belong somewhere.

The “model minority” myth explains that Asian-Americans are the only minority who worked hard to become self-sufficient in the 1960s. For this reason, African-Americans and Hispanics are seen as the opposite. This myth only raises the idol of white people, discriminates and prejudices against ethnic minorities.

According to the reading “The Racial Triangulation of Asian Americans,” Kim explains how the Model Minority is a stereotype that categorized Asian Americans as more “superior” or “smartest” minority groups. While Asian Americans are seen as more successful, rich, and intelligent, other groups such as African Americans and Hispanics are seen as the exact opposite. They are often seen as gangsters or not smart in society, and anytime a member of the community becomes successful in any way, often people find it suspicious to how someone of that group could become successful. They put their thoughts and say they must be selling drugs or are involved in illegal concepts.

I think this myth is reproduced by the way parents treat their children. Asians are already stereotyped to be the smartest race. Children of these families feel a lot of pressure from their parents to become doctors or lawyers, or just have to acquire a high paying and important career. Their parents pressure them by saying they moved to this country so they can have a better life. I feel this isn’t fair, they are human as well and shouldn’t be treated differently because of stereotypical standards that they’re forced to live up to. They should do what their heart desires and become what they want in life. However, if you are Asian and you aren’t rich, don’t have a good job, you would be humiliated for the rest of your life. Therefore, we need to stop with these types of stereotype, because not only does it make one group seem superior to others, but also brings down and shames the other minority groups. It also discriminates against other groups, making them feel they are not smart or intelligent as others. They would feel less privileged.

The term “Model Minority” was evolved in the 1960’s. In Kim’s “The Racial Triangulation of Asian Americans,” she explains how the Model Minority is a stereotype that categorized Asian Americans as the more “superior” or “smartest” minority group. During these times the United States preferred immigrants who would make the country look good. What I mean by “look good” is immigrants who would excel in fields of technology, mathematic, science, etc. to improve the economy. This made other minorities look inferior and undermined. This was not fair at all and didn’t give other minorities a chance at being academically prepared and ready. The model minority myth forced a lot of pressure onto the Asian American group  and this was a problem. Asians are already stereotyped to be the richest and smartest race and are forced to live up to those standards. Children of these families feel a lot of pressure from their parents to become doctors or lawyers, or just have to acquire a high paying and important career. I feel this isn’t fair, they are human as well and shouldn’t be treated differently because of stereotypical standards that they’re forced to live up to. A lot of times children can get lost or depressed when thinking of their future because they are forced to pick a career path that doesn’t satisfy them. This myth became an idea to protect the Whites from being bashed from the “bad minority.”

“Model Minority” was created in the 1960’s. It was used to stereotype and categorize Asian Americans as more intelligent and more likely to succeed compared to other minority groups. At this time, the U.S. preferred immigrants who were proficient in fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in order to improve the country and is general economy. The model minority ideal was used to identify “elite” immigrants while also undermining other minority groups like Hispanics and the Black community who were stereotyped as criminals and thugs. This trope furthered anti black rhetoric. It is evident that both opposite sides of the stereotype has dealt with different discriminations, it is without a doubt that this system is unjust, unfair and created to ultimately exploit people of color and benefit the white government per usual.

Affirmative Action moves tp create an equal opportunity platform fro minorities who are in pursuit of higher education. However, although affirmative action hold a great ideology, it has been poorly executed. Asians are commonly categorized as proficient in STEM fields. This expectation creates pressure to fit into what society feels you should be as an Asian American. This in return shuns people who fail to fit into the role that society has assigned. The rebirth of the model minority trope served politically fueled agendas that aimed to protect and serve the white system.

According to the readings the term “Model Minority” comes from this idea that Asian Americans are more astute, shrewd, crafty and capable to all other races in the nation. This would make other minorities such as black/african/caribbean and latinx/hispanic/spanish look inferior intellectually and does not seem to give a fair fighting chance at being academically powerful. Asians are already stereotyped as being wealthy and intelligent, and have high standards. Asian families usually expect their children to be a doctor or lawyer and to make a lot of money, being second place to success, right behind white/caucasian/european americans.

Asian American students are suing Ivy league schools believing that other minority students are being treated more fairly than they. Racial quotas seem silly, that people only get accepted to schools because of their race. Most people feel okay with this. People play the race card when it’s convenient for them but talk about racial equality so that people don’t seem different. No one should be discriminated against but there are people who have it hard in life people of their skin color so it seems a little fair that they get some type of help to get through college and get a good job, but we should never take out privilege for granted and never try to seem like a victim. When it comes to race some people can be hypocritical.

According to the reading “model minority myth first started in 1966, where they refer to Asian American whose deem as “smart” or “successful” than others. It comes to be because the United states are in need of more skilled labor so they allowed more immigrantion come to the U.S. This stereotype of Asian Americans as smart and successful, this put more pressure on them as they will alway seen as smart. And this should stop as people will alway expect them to be smart than other minorities. And we are different from each other as we all been brought up differently.