The article, “Re-thinking Schools,” by Benji Chang and Wayne Au discusses the negative effects that the Model Minority myth has imposed on to Asian Americans. It is easy for the general population to claim that the Model Minority myth is a “good stereotype,” but like Chang and Au explain in their article, there is no good stereotype. Unfortunately, Noy Thrypkaew reveals how installing the myth of the model minority is, in fact, what makes it easier for the United States to justify not lending proper aid.
Stereotyping people lumps masses of different cultures together. For example, the Asian Americans who immigrated from Korea around the 1990s had a much different upbringing than the immigrants who came from Cambodia, but when the two different cultures entered the United States, typically they would each be lumped in to the Asian American stereotype of being a Model Minority. Again, people might not understand why this is bad. The answer is easy. Just like all of us saw growing up or even today at Cal Poly, unfortunately, class matters. The majority of immigrants from Cambodia most likely have not achieved more than a high school education, while it is very likely that the Koreans have received a higher education. Therefore, when getting settled in the United States, resources would have been much easier to attain for the Korean immigrants, in this case, because he or she was able to speak English and had the education to better guide them in finding work.
Cal Poly has been ranked as one of the highest CSUs for household income and as society is well aware, Cal Poly is also one of the highest ranked CSUs for academics. The correlation makes perfect sense because parents that went to college themselves or were able to send their children to good schools gave their kids a much higher chance of receiving a higher education. On campus, it is not uncommon to hear students say “I didn’t even have a choice. I was always going to go to college.” When kids grow up in that kind of atmosphere they have an incomparable incentive and desire to succeed and do well in K-12th than children in very poor schools or not going to school at all. Like Thrypkaew says "parents' lack of education leads to a lack of role models and guidance. Without those things, youth can turn to delinquent behavior and in some very extreme cases, gangs, instead of devoting themselves to education" (Noy).
If the Model Minority theory is installed in society then the teacher who has both the Cambodian and Korean immigrant in their classroom could unconsciously have high expectations for both children which would completely diminish the intentions for equality. A common description of the Model Minority is that they are “private and quiet,” but Benji Chang and Wayne Au tell their readers to “rethink how [they] interpret and act upon the silence of Asian-American students in [the] classroom” (Au Chang). Silence could mean so many different things! It is terrible to assume that they are being silent since they are very studious because it could actually mean that they don’t understand the material or are insecure about their English.
Unfortunately, not only would the Cambodian be at at a disadvantage in the classroom because of a lack of education, but Thrypkaew also explains how a woman maned Mali Keo, that fled Cambodia with her four children in 1992, “was still haunted by searing memories of ‘the killing fields,’ the forced-labor camps where millions of Cambodians died.” And due to the “brutal beatings she suffered at the hands of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, she was still wracked with physical pain as well.” Yet, Mali Keo was considered an Asian American and therefore, a Model Minority, so when she and her kids got to the United States they “didn’t need help.” This idea that “strong values” is all immigrants need in order to succeed and live the American dream is absurdity. American’s fight for free therapy for U.S. soldiers because it is common knowledge that experiences such as the one Cambodians experienced are traumatizing and it would be impossible for them not to effect any human being (Noy).
The Model Minority Myth is really just an easy way for Americans to justify not helping immigrants of any race. Too many Asian American immigrants “share the fate of other people of color when they are denied access to good education, safe neighborhoods, and jobs that provide a living wage and benefits. But for the sake of preserving the model-minority myth, conservative policy makers have largely ignored the needs of Southeast Asian communities” (Noy).
Works Cited
Chang, Benji and Au, Wayne . You're Asian, How Could You Fail Math?. 2008 Winter. 16 Feb. 2011.
Thrupkaew, Noy. The Myth of the Model Minority. 7 April. 2002. 16 Feb. 2011.
Your thoughts on the Model Minority situation made me realize an important implication these assumptions create: assuming an individual belongs to a particular group and therefore will be representative of a stereo type, even if that stereotype is a “positive” one, will very likely disadvantage the individual. That is, assuming someone is better than they might be (which, to point out, is quite different from what happens with other minorities), could give them a disadvantage in much the same as assuming someone lacks education, for example, would do to other minorities. It just shows that the general statement: preconceived notions and assuming stereotypes lead to disadvantaged individuals, regardless of if the notions of assumptions are positive or negative, liberating or oppressive. The example of being silent in a classroom is a perfect example of this. This example shows both sides of the possible disadvantage: one, a student is assumed to understand due to silence but in reality is confused and is therefore disadvantaged; and two, a student is assumed to be lost due to silence but in reality understands the material may be disadvantaged because the projection of assumptions may influence future learning (i.e. the student may begin to question understanding because others do). I feel like this is a subtle, but important, point that comes up with stereotyping, especially with the Model Minority, that you helped bring to light.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading your response I could not help but think how the stereotypes are used to pit one against each other. For example, the usage of the minority myth and how it was used to demonstrate that it was the African American’s fault they were where were and those thoughts were justified in the ideas of the Model Minority. That the Asian Americans worked hard and overcame these obstacles instead of “complaining” and therefore it was the African Americans fault they were in the position that they were. I wonder why people were so willing to cling to that belief. This also got me thinking that the United States is based on the idea of hard work and striving for what you want. And the model minority myth upheld that idea. That hard work and perseverance is that key to achieving success. This “model minority” myth idea proved that the U.S system was working and there was no need to change the system (even though this myth only applied to one group ). The loss of identity and inability to get away from this “Model Identity” must have been frustrating and it was demonstrated in the 1960’s with the civil rights movement. Black Power, Red Power, Brown Power and Yellow Power were minorities fighting for their rights ,the loss of identity , and the stereotypes just ( I am keeping it very short and very sweet.) Also, another thought that came to my mind was that there are still stereotypes about certain groups of people that prevail. Being aware of the stereotypes that one has against another group and willing to change those ideas is the first step in ending stereotypes.
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