Model Minority Myth

In the video, “A conversation with Asians on Race” of the many people who spoke, the majority of them argues in some way or another how they identify in their community as Asian American. The speakers in this video confront the racial epidemics that start at a young age in America. Racism was experienced in multiple generations of Asian Americans during their time in the United States. Many of the speakers in this video feel threatened to expose and be proud of their identities as Asian Americans. Stereotypes and the model minority myth are two excuses to set apart Asian Americans from any other Americans. The model minority myth and the stereotypes surrounded by Asian Americans are easy to prove when one looks at it from a different perspective

Asian Americans acknowledge the notion of them being the model minority as being “complacent about justice and race.” This is because the Asian American community buys into the Model Minority myth without looking at the immigration flows into the United States. The woman in this video mentions the Model Minority myth because she wants it to be known that in 1965 when the United States was accepting immigrants, the U.S. only accepted the richest and the most educated to enter the country. Asian Americans are seen as different from whites because the Model Minority myth places the Asian Americans above White Americans. For example, the notion that the man in the video said that Asian Americans are seen as high-achieving and apolitical. Because of this example, Asian Americans are held to a higher standard which sets them apart from any other Americans. Because of this high standard that is set, most Asian Americans will prove themselves when they become successful. When one looks at the model minority myth from an inside perspective, it is only noticed that the members of this group are placed under specific expectations when it comes to academic success (Zhou 2004). This can unintentionally cause barriers for Asian Americans when they want to achieve their success

Because of the political justification, stereotypes surrounding the Asian American culture, including the Model Minority myth, different color spectrums, differential treatment among different Asian Americans, and the stereotypes that surround the Asian Americans, it is hard to disagree with speakers about being afraid or confused to racially identify oneself in this country. Most of the time in today’s society, one cannot identify themselves to be a certain race just because of the way they look and what race society perceives them to be. Any and every exception that Asian Americans try to disprove their negative or positive stereotypes with only reinforces the model minority myth and other stereotypes that surround Asian Americans. It is difficult for an outside perspective to disprove them because there are not many factors that can be disproved effectively. The model minority myth and the stereotypes surrounded by Asian Americans are easy to disprove when looking at it from a different perspective because they are reinforced with the