Steven Zhang ‘24
Stereotypes live with us. We walk forward, and they cling to the back of our legs like a desperate shadow self. Every move we make is followed by our stereotype, waiting for a moment to be noticed and pinned onto us. As an Asian American, it’s quite common to get smacked with an unpleasant word or… “question”: a teacher or student calling you by another Asian name or a random 10 year old in your summer camp asking if you eat dogs (cats too if they feel smart enough), all of it leaves the utmost dryness on my tongue. But rarely, rarely does a stereotype feel nice. Being labeled as an intelligent, studious, and assiduous worker brings a smile to my face. Even being perceived to be smart as I walk into a classroom while forgetting to finish the 50 point assignment is quite a spectacle.
What is this awesome, oddly terrific stereotype that no one really finds out until it’s actually separating two racial groups and silently causing mass division among students and teachers? Well, to give it to you in its most basic form: the model minority myth. The model minority myth sounds great because it says we are all smart. But the model minority myth actually has detrimental effects on Asian students, especially when it comes to separating them from other minority groups.
The model minority myth loves to put us in small compact two dimensional squares outlined by just a few salient characteristics: shy, meek, studious, complacent, compliant, and you know the rest. Whenever we would like to show other qualities, confidence, athleticism, or something other than “Stem smarts”, we the myth urges, “oh no no no, you need to go back into your corner”-like a parent says to a child who accidentally pulls a lego from his friend’s box. My generation is doing a phenomenal job at expressing our three dimensional personalities and making sure people know we have depth in our character. However, although we have been fighting against how the model minority myth treats us, we must also tackle the problem of how it treats other racial groups.
When we are the only racial group treated and stereotyped as “smart and meek,” what characteristics does that leave for other racial groups like Blacks, Latinos, Natives, and other minority groups? The fact that the model minority myth gives us this kind of upper hand has led many Asian people to become complacent and to stop fighting for equality for all. This reasoning is deeply rooted in the history of the model minority myth. The model minority myth originates from the early 1970’s, and has a deep history in immigration and the Japanese internment camps. Because many don’t actually know about Japanese internment camps or the rules and laws that benefited only rich/educated Asians to immigrate, people automatically assume we have purposefully become the way we are now. During and after the Japanese incarceration period, Japanese Americans had to take on the role of “whiteness” so as to not be labeled as an “enemy.” When whites observed Asian workers conforming, they believed that we were always like that. So, they stamped us with a bunch of characteristics and packed us in a box. We have worked hard to fit in and earn our spot in the U.S., so why go back down to the other minority groups when we have this seat here at the dinner table? Well sadly in reality, we are sitting on a child’s toy chair. This model minority myth makes Asians feel good about themselves, but it is harming how we view other minority groups and especially harming the connection between us. We are fighting a war alone when there are clearly other people willing to fight with us. This war is one on racism, and we just so happen to be fighting against each other.
So what’s the point of me saying this? Well, it’s quite simple. I just want to raise awareness about this harmful stereotype and reveal something to the public’s eyes. Obviously this is such a complex topic that can be debated and talked about for more than our lifespans (though I hope this is not true). Then again, don’t come after me with a stick saying you never do any of this. And yes, you might be right, our generation is indeed making a huge difference when it comes to the model minority myth, but it doesn’t mean that everybody is just like you. If you're stepping over that invisible line, great, tell other people to do it too. And no matter how cheesy this is, a war can never be won if it’s fought alone.
