TW: slight mention of murder and suicide
What is Asian Minority Myth?
Model minority myth, or Asian minority myth, is a stereotype that all Asians are hard-working, independent, intelligent, and economically prosperous. For example, according to this stereotype, Asian students are expected to have high academic scores or be naturally gifted at playing musical instruments. Due to these high expectations, Asian parents will usually be stricter. The kids will then have higher expectations of themselves, trying to be the best to live up to their standards.
Why is it problematic?
Like all stereotypes do, the Asian minority myth tends to treat Asians differently. It paints them all as law-abiding citizens. As mentioned before, since they are often perceived as being very good at certain school subjects, not being capable of reaching the expectation will result in a lack of effort on the student’s part. Instead of receiving tutoring or extra help, they would be told to “do better.” Although many can overcome this negative self-image, others aren’t so lucky. After a study, the group with the highest amount of suicide attempts of college students was the Asian American group. The Asian Minority Myth hides all the pressure and efforts made by them.
Another reason why the Asian minority myth is a big problem is that it not only revolves around grades and student’s mental health. It also hides a great deal of racism that happens daily. According to the Asian minority myth, Asian Americans are doing well in life and are perceived as living “the dream” in the US. Logically, it would look as if the US was a welcoming place for Asians, ignoring the mass murders of Asians in the 19th century and the murder of Vincent Chin, a 27-year-old Chinese man who was beaten to death with a baseball bat, that occurred in 1982.
Ways to raise awareness
Already reading this post helps a lot. If you want to educate yourself even more about this subject, you can start learning about a few activists that spoke out about this matter like Grace Lee Boggs or Yuri Kochiyama. You can also learn the full story of Vincent Chin. We can help dismantle the Asian minority myth by not only being informed about it but being vigilant about the racism that comes along with it.
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