The Model Minority
Hello, everyone! Last time, I spoke about the academic value of a multicultural education, specifically in terms of how students view and approach schooling. This week’s topic is going to be about education and culture as well but from a different viewpoint.
Just last week, I found an article by Stacey Lee, Ph.D., where she talked about Asian Americans in relation to schooling, particularly the common stereotype that she coined the “Model-Minority.” I attend a school in a city that has a vast community of Asian-Americans and Indian-Americans, so I was intrigued about this stereotype that I myself have heard many people speak about. Lee herself seemed to think that the stereotype of a “Model Minority” was extremely misleading, and she sought to lift the veil that obscures the truth regarding this myth.
In her paper, she first referenced anthropologist John Ogbu, who categorized immigrants into two categories, voluntary immigrants and involuntary immigrants. Voluntary immigrants are those who willingly came to the United States in search of a better future, while involuntary immigrants are those who were forcefully brought into the United States. Ogbu recognized that voluntary immigrants, such as Asian Americans, see schooling as a necessary step to social mobility, as they are guests in the United States, living by American rules. However, involuntary minorities, such as African Americans and Chicano Americans, due to racial and ethnic discrimination, see social mobility as impossible and therefore rebel against schooling. Lee certainly agrees with Ogbu on his thoughts, but she also feels that this claim creates the wrongful image of all Asians as overachievers who are naturally more talented academically than those of other races.
Personally, I find Ogbu’s thoughts very interesting, but I do agree with Professor Lee on this matter. I am friends with students from a vast number of Asian ethnicities, and they are not all the ones with the best grades. In search of an answer to her dilemma, Professor Lee does a study at a high school she coined “Academic High School.” She immediately noticed that while there are many overachieving Asian American students, there were just as many that were struggling academically. Ultimately, even the many Asians at the school separated themselves and all had different attitudes toward schooling.
For example, Koreans stayed away from other Asians, mostly gravitating toward white kids. When questioned, the students mentioned that their parents had encouraged them to stay near American kids and “get Americanized.” Korean students often maintained double identities, a Korean identity when with family, and an “American” one when at school. They also spoke of how they wished to repay the sacrifices their parents made to allow them the opportunity to study in America by studying hard and getting a good job. However, there were still many Korean students who were unable to achieve amazing grades, mostly due to a lack of English proficiency.
The other Asian-Americans at the school identified in the same group, and also spoke about studying hard to repay their parents for the sacrifices they made. Ultimately, however, the students often felt that there were some things they couldn’t change, such as the jobs they could get. Lee spoke of multiple students that wanted to become lawyers or politicians but chose to become engineers because of their Asian accents. Many other students also felt insecure about their grades. Even the overachievers of the school, those with the best grades and scores still talked often about their “bad grades,” a clear illustration of the pressure that the “Model-Minority” stereotype places on Asian Americans to succeed.
However, I believe that the stereotype has the greatest effect on lower-achieving students, as they can often feel real pressure to live up to a standard that is astronomically high. Lee, in her paper, spoke to many low-achieving students as well, highlighting how many Asian students who were low-achievers seemed to be high-achievers. Even when confronted about their lower grades, these students refused to seek tutoring or academic help, attributing it to the “Asian ethos” that sharing hardships with others brought shame to their families. Lee found it ironic that these students would share the horrifying stories of their parents’ terrifying migration to America. She attributed that to the students following the stereotype of Asians as “long-suffering people who struggle against the odds.” Ultimately, the promotion of the model-minority stereotype did much more harm than good, as students who cannot achieve those high scores are afraid to even seek help for fear of falling outside of the model minority.
Throughout her paper, Professor Lee sought to prove that identity and attitudes toward schooling are not static and that they are determined by individual experiences. My biggest takeaway from the article was that not only is the “Model-Minority” stereotype inaccurate, but it also does much harm to those who are unable to achieve those high standards and often feel under great pressure to succeed. As shown, such feelings can lead to massive consequences, of which suicide is one of the most severe. In fact, according to the United Health Foundation, in 2019, 18.8% of high school students reported considering suicide, while 8.9% percent actually attempted it. It is definitely true that there are many other causes of suicide, but stress from academics is one of the leading causes among teenagers. As we have seen, this stereotype is not accurate nor useful at all and needs to be done away with immediately.
I hope you all enjoyed reading! I have attached my source below, so feel free to read it. Until next time, have a great day!
