Unraveling the "Model Minority" Stereotype

Unraveling the “Model Minority” Stereotype

The Asian American students at Academic High School were perceived as high-achieving model minorities – this stereotypical attitude by the teachers clearly had a negative impact on those students who didn’t live up to the teachers’ expectations. I should say it is a lack of awareness or just ignorance of the school district for categorizing all Asian American students as representing one pan-ethnic identity though there are students from different Asian countries with their own languages, culture and ethnic backgrounds. – no wonder this community attracts stereotypical attitude.

As to why the East Asian and Southeast Asian students ‘did not perceive South Asians to be Asian’, or are excluded from the Asian category has a lot to do with their identities and social behavior, not the continent where they are from. It seems very convenient for researchers and ethnographers to lump everyone with Asian roots as Asian Americans but what they don’t realize is that there are such distinct differences in their culture and ethnic identities that some groups will refuse to be categorized into one pan-ethnic identity. They would rather identify themselves with their ethnic background and religious beliefs then their common continent.

To answer the author’s query as to why the East Asian and Southeast Asian students got along even though there are ‘political tensions between India and Pakistan’, I can certainly relate to that because I’m from Pakistan and not born in America.

 The two countries were a single country before 1947 when they were being ruled by the British. Therefore they share a common heritage and culture, something that binds them and they can identify themselves with. This is certainly true for Indian and Pakistani students who were not born in America. Their food and dress code are similar as well as their languages. They even have relatives on the other side of their common border, who were either unwilling to migrate or were not able to when their country was split in 1947.

On the contrary, they do accept the ‘model minority’ stereotype label, not only because it has been imposed upon them but because they are also responsible in generating it. Typically, their socioeconomic status is middle-class with strong family influences that expects them to be high-achievers. The families try to move into districts with better school rankings and with after school tutoring and family pressure, the students are nudged on.

Reference:

Lee, S. J. (2009). Unraveling the "Model Minority" Stereotype: Listening to Asian American Youth (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.