Model Minority Myth: Are Asians the Victims, the Perpetrators, or Both?
Blog posted by Wesley Chen
Image Source: NPR
Internalized Oppression
If you were part of an oppressed group, would you accept a negative stereotype to be true and perpetuate it to cause more harm in your own community? Probably not, but that is what some Asian Americans have done with the model minority myth.
Being a model minority in the United States is often misconstrued by society to have positive connotations. Even amongst Asian Americans, there are some who still take pride in being known as the model minority. After all, who doesn’t want to be perceived as a role model?
What many don’t realize is that these standards that society has set upon us and that we’ve embraced into our culture is a form of internalized oppression. This is when individuals who have been systematically oppressed over long periods of time begin to slowly internalize or accept stereotypes applied on them as self-evident. As any great propagandist would say, “repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.” Unfortunately, I believe this tactic is exactly what our society has employed with the model minority myth.
The Aftermath
Internalized oppression in the Asian community is a byproduct of the model minority myth being perpetuated by society for decades. It is what has led Asian youths in schools to mistakenly believe that we must all be docile and obedient, as well as naturally better than others in math and science.
As an Asian American youth who has grown up in a competitive academic environment, I often find myself falling into the pitfall of comparing myself to my peers, whether it be grades, money, or even college and career aspirations. Despite having no passion for computer science, watching the majority of my Asians friends choose to major in computer science has placed doubts in my own mind about my own career choices. Is majoring in computer science worth it if it’s only for the money? It might be if I can make my parents proud. These are the thoughts that cross my mind as I apply for colleges and prepare for my future. I’m sure there are other high school seniors that feel the same way as I do. After all, as Asians we’ve all been placed in the same boat. It’s a boat which continues to sail mindlessly in pursuit of the golden standard—straight A’s, 4.0 GPA, Ivy League, engineer, doctor, or lawyer—with any misfits who don’t fall in line with these standards thrown overboard by our own community and left to drown in the sea of “failures.”
While society may be the architect of this “boat” and the strict standards placed on the Asians on board, I feel that our community and culture must realize that by internalizing these beliefs we are partially responsible for perpetuating the model minority myth. A self-fulfilling prophecy is how Richelle Concepicon, President of Asian American Psychological Association, describes our relationship with the model minority myth. By continuing to accept the model minority myth and trying our best to meet its outlandish expectations, we are essentially working hard to validate this myth. That’s why I believe that it’s important to stop placing these standards on ourselves and others in our community. As someone who has stopped (as best as I could) comparing myself to my friends and playing into the model minority myth and other societal expectations, I can say that life feels a lot less stressful for both me and my peers. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Raising Awareness
As I write this blog, I often ask myself why am I doing this? Perhaps part of it is because I like going on rants, but more importantly it’s because I hope to raise awareness about the model minority myth and the internalized oppression that comes along with it.
I challenge you to do the same.
Write your own blog. Discuss with your friends and family. Join the Lotus Project! For the ambitious ones, start your own Youtube channel like Stephen He, a popular Asian youtuber that makes parodies of our Asian culture. His content has raised awareness about many issues Asian Americans face, such as the ridiculous standards that stem from the model minority myth. Perhaps your content will too.
As you contemplate on what you will do to stand up against the model minority myth, I’ll leave you with a few memes I created in hopes that it’ll be a source of inspiration for you.
