How the ‘model minority’ myth harms Asian Americans
Retrieved on:
Martedì, Maggio 28, 2024
May is Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, a time when Americans celebrate the profound contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – a group that is commonly abbreviated as AAPI – to U.S. society.
Key Points:
- May is Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, a time when Americans celebrate the profound contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – a group that is commonly abbreviated as AAPI – to U.S. society.
- It’s also a time to acknowledge the complexity of AAPI experience.
- More than half of native-born Asian Americans have heard of the “model minority” description.
Racially visible, in practice invisible
- In reality, AAPIs encompass over 20 distinct ethnicities, yet are often lumped into a single category.
- It also perpetuates the harmful notion that AAPIs don’t need support or advocacy to address systemic inequities.
- Research shows that the depiction of AAPIs as diligent and hardworking has burdened them with additional responsibilities.
- Stereotypes portraying Asians as passive and unassertive also frequently lead to their talents being overlooked for managerial and leadership positions.
Forever foreign
- This myth has persisted despite generations of assimilation.
- Asians have often been viewed as outsiders since their arrival on American shores in the mid-19th century, labeled under the broad umbrella of “Orientals” and subjected to a variety of stereotypes.
- This poses a real and immediate threat to the safety and well-being of AAPI individuals and communities.