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History of the Term the New York Times Model Minority Myth? 2006 SORITY MODEL MINORITY Ie now gradually assimilated into the wh* Kasinitz, P., Mollenkopf, J., Waters, M.e., seeming success of Asian Americans Ir majority, thus changing the definition & Holdaway, J. (2008). Inheriting the city: focused variously on Confucian values, 'Y the majority. Third, an apparently distinct The children of immigrants come of age. work ethic, centrality of family, and r­ minority racial or ethno-religious back­ Cambridge, MA: Harvard University genetic superiority. One factor that was II ground need not equal socio-economic Press. often overlooked in these accounts was US ;- subordination: even though Asian­ Kymlicka, W. (1995). Multicultural citizen­ immigration law. The 1965 Immigration Americans and Jewish-Americans are ship: A liberal theory of minority rights. Act reversed years of restrictive immigra­ o racial or religious minorities, their averagr Oxford: Oxford University Press. tion policies that virtually banned all l­ incomes surpass those of most other Omi, M. & Winant, H. (1989). Racial immigration from Asia, allowing for a e groups. formation in the United States: From the greater number of immigrants to enter the I: Finally, groups and the social boundar­ 1960s to the 1980s. New York: Routledge United States from non-Western coun­ e ies between them can be fluid and mallea­ & Kegan Paul Inc. tries, including countries in Asia and Latin o ble. Immigration from Africa and the Skrentny, J. (2002). Minority rights revolu­ America. Although this act lifted previous '- Caribbean may complicate the heretofore tion. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University geographic restrictions, it allowed only If cohesive African-American group identity Press. those with certain backgrounds to enter e built on a shared experience of oppression the United States. After immediate family and resistance. Furthermore, the fact that members of those already in the United S half of all Latinos identify themselves as MODEL MINORITY The term "model minor­ States, the second priority was recruiting :I white," as well as the rapidly increasiIl! ity" refers to minority groups that have professionals and scientists. As a result, a i rates of socio-economic assimilation and ostensibly achieved a high level of success large influx of highly-educated profes­ i intermarriage with non-Hispanic whites in contemporary US society. The term has sionals (such as doctors and engineers) and among US-born Latinos and Asians, may been used most often to describe Asian scientists from Asia left their home coun­ also complicate received concepts and per­ Americans, a group seen as having attained tries after 1965 and immigrated to the haps necessitate a redefinition of the terms educational and financial success relative Unites States. It is this group of Asian -'majority" and "minority" in the United to other immigrant groups. The "model Americans, and their children, that make States in the near future. On the other minority" label on its surface seems to be up a significant portion of the Asian hand, the continuing structural disadvan­ an accolade because it appears to praise American community today. A radical tages suffered by many African-Americans Asian Americans for their achievements. change in US immigration policy can thus and Latinos, and their continuing racial­ However, a critical analysis of the way the explain some of the individual success sto­ ization and stigmatization, are proof thaI term is used and the consequences of its use ries profiled in popular press articles elhno-racial stratification is alive and weD suggest that there are pernicious effects of describing Asian American success. in American society. [US] classifying Asian Americans, or any racial group, as a model minority. Model minority myth? Although there are national statistics Key readings History of the term that suggest that Asian Americans have Alba, R. (2009). Blurring the color line. Cam­ The term "model minority" was coined in achieved some measure of success in US bridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1966 by sociologist William Petersen in an society, disaggregating the statistics reveals Bleich, E. (2003). Race politics in Britain and article he wrote for The New York Times a different story. According to the 2006 France: Ideas and policymaking since the Magazine entitled "Success story: Japanese Census data, when combined into one 1960s. New York: Cambridge University American style." Petersen emphasized that group, Asian Americans earn a greater Press. family structure and a cultural emphasis household income than Whites ($66,060 vs Gleason, P. (1991). Minorities (almost) all: on hard work allowed Japanese Americans $53,910), Blacks ($32,876), and Latinos The minority concept in American social to overcome the discrimination against ($38,853). Educational attainment from thought. American Quarterly, 43(3), their group and achieve a measure of suc­ the 2000 Census shows a similar pattern: a 392-424. cess in the United States. Numerous popu­ greater percentage of Asian Americans Hollinger, D. (1995). Postethnic America: lar press articles subsequently appeared attend college than Whites (65 percent vs Beyond multiculturalism. New York: Basic describing the "successes" of various Asian 54 percent). On the face of it, the Asian Books. American groups. Explanations for the American community may appear to be 172 173 MODEL 1 MODEL MINORITY scarce doing quite well. However, the term Asian Americans require more years of situations where resources may be "model minority" is often accompanied by education to achieve the same level of (such as during bad economic times). as the word "myth" because many scholars income as Whites. Asian Americans, like Envied groups are also often viewed have argued that the assumptions that other minority groups, have not yet cold and unsociable, reflecting a tradeoff Asian Americans are doing well is overgen­ achieved a level of success that is commen­ between competence and likability in per­ eralized and inaccurate. First, the use of surate to the success of Whites, even when ceptions of social groups. Thus, although household income statistics obscures the education differences are controlled for the model minority'S high competence may fact that many Asian American families across the two groups. Moreover, this is be (begrudgingly) admired, it can at the have larger households with more adults true even of Asian Americans born in the same time undermine liking for the group who are employed than White families. United States, suggesting that a lack of and lead to prejudice. Whites have initiated Second, although some Asian American facility with English does not fully explain hate crimes against Asian Americam ethnic groups may be doing relatively well, the greater achievement of Whites. Taken because of a belief that Asian Americam there are many Asian American ethnic together, these observations reveal that the were achieving too much and takin!! groups that not doing well compared to the model minority stereotype is problematic resources, such as jobs, away from Whites. rest of the US population. For instance, because it masks many of the struggles The model minority myth can also obscun: according to the 2000 Census, Cambodians faced by Asian Americans. socioeconomic diversity within the AsiaII have a per-capita income of $10,215, and American community and prevent AsiaII over 90 percent of their population does Consequences/or Asian Americans Americans who need assistance frOOl not have a bachelor's degree, significantly While some Asian Americans embrace the getting it. More research is necessary tc lower than the comparable statistics for the seemingly positive characterization of their identify the situations in which the mode US overall ($21,587 per capita income and group, others resist it because of the nega­ minority label benefits as opposed l( 76 percent without a bachelor's degree). tive consequences it has for the Asian harms Asian Americans. Third, Asian Americans make up a dispro­ American community. On the one hand, betK"een portionately high percentage of those liv­ social psychological experiments have Consequences/or relationships ing in poverty; the 2005 Census data shown that being stereotyped as smart may minority groups minori reveals that II percent of Asian Americans benefit Asian Americans in test-taking sit­ Scholars argue that the model relation live below the poverty line, compared to 8 uations because positive stereotypes about label serves to undermine positive The mode percent of Whites. Asian Americans are one's group can boost performance. On ships between ethnic groups. AmericaJ also uninsured at a higher rate than Whites the other hand, the model minority myth minority myth reinforces the that ban (18 percent vs 11 percent). Focusing on the can be harmful to Asian Americans who dream by promoting the image be divi Asian Americans who have "made it" ren­ may feel pressure to live up to unrealistic work pays off. This rhetoric can as a tool tJ ders invisible those in the community who expectations. In addition, believing that sive, because it can be used of othc continue to struggle. Asian Americans are a model minority reinforce the subordinate position it, why can' Relying on aggregate household income diverts attention away from any discrimi­ minority groups ("they made bet't'o'cc and education statistics also obscures the nation they may have faced and continue you?") and prevent cooperation es. I fact that White Americans still hold a dis­ to face. Asian Americans who mention
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