Asian Americans: The Model Minority Myth

Asian stereotypes have long been entrenched into society yet often go unnoticed and even are normalized. The "model minority" myth, a “positive” stereotype that states Asians are perfect in everything they do, and the fetishization of Asians perpetrated at school, work, and in media have negative effects on Asian Americans that are ignored, which can include severe mental health issues dismissed as being lazy or unmotivated. Stereotypes of physical attributes are also normalized in society and overlooked in mainstream media, rendering Asian Americans to feel ostracized if they don't fit into those stereotypes. For example, Asian American women report more incidents of sexual harassment due to the perceived notion that they are both submissive

Firstly, the model-minority myth is an “…overgeneralization from the academic and economic achievement of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Americans” (Yong and Qiu 3). The successes of South and Southeast Asians are never considered, as the myth is a hyper-selection of East Asian American students, even though Asia has the most diverse cultures as a continent. While these stereotypes may push students to strive harder, all Asian students are also expected to achieve more compared to other racial groups because of this belief, and that it is hard-wired in Asian students to be more successful and meet unrealistic expectations. When Asian students suffer from mental health issues like depression and stress, it is covered up and goes unaddressed, leading to increased rates of suicide amongst Asians. These stereotypes also carry into the workplace. A popular assumption in society is that Asians are quiet and not cooperative, therefore they do not have the ability to lead. In tech companies, this hinders the ability of Asians to get promoted, so there is a lack of Asians in high positions of power, even though they are capable of

For example, Asian women living in the US are almost always viewed in a sexual light in society, from the fragile, submissive “lotus blossom” to the hypersexual, dominant “dragon lady” stereotypes. These stereotypes stem from historical and present-day practices, such as comfort women and mail-order brides, and again from the stereotype that Asians are shy and demure. This homogenizes Asians and effectively “others” them, sometimes even seeing them as subpar to other racial groups. If an Asian also doesn’t act according to their stereotype, they are perceived as lesser Asians and narrows one’s sense of identity and lowers their confidence as an individual. Asian women report that they think they are complimented on their appearance because they are Asian. Asian women also suffer from more incidents of sexual harassment, rape, and domestic violence due to these stereotypes. On the other hand, Asian men are often emasculated, and seen as feminine, but during World War II, Japanese men were portrayed as demons and predators to white women, even misogynistic. With both genders. these stereotypes are heavily perpetuated by the media. Asians are often pushed into minor roles that enforce a certain stereotype in white-dominant roles, unable to act as fully developed