Truth or Myth: Chinese American as Model Minority from Childhood to Adolescence

Truth or Myth: Chinese American as “Model Minority” from Childhood to Adolescence

Introduction

The United States is one of the most culturally pluralistic nations in the world. As our schools become more diverse, the mission to improve the education of all children is making an investment now for future prosperity. The educational achievement disparity among different ethnic groups, therefore, continues to baffle and disturb educators, scholars, and policy makers. Asian Americans, of whom Chinese Americans constitute the largest group, have recently been perceived as a ‘model minority’ who found their niche in the United States by emphasizing educational attainment. The academic success of Chinese Americans can be attributed to their cultural heritage, family support, effort, discipline, industriousness, and respect for authorities. However, Chinese Americans represent a heterogeneous group with marked within-group variations. I argue that the model minority, if accepted without question, leads people to oversimplify their knowledge and often make erroneous assumptions of ethnic groups and individuals (Wong, 2011). It is less than sufficient to represent the academic experience of many Chinese Americans, and it fails to recognize the challenges of adjustment faced by those students. Meanwhile, the achievement of some Chinese Americans should not serve as a formula for success for other minorities, and we need to be cautious about the political implications behind it.
Explanations of the model minority phenomenon: A historical perspective
In an effort to sort the myths out of the realities, a historical perspective needs to be taken to look at the traditions in the Chinese homeland, the roots of those cultural values and practic...

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...limited employment prospects, teachers’ negative attitudes, being born to poor parents, and feelings of alienation and anger still exist in our society today and still keep students from ethnic groups from success. While it is tempting to promote the picture that Chinese Americans have overcome those obstacles through their effort, others may not be willing or able to adopt the same strategy. Every ethnic group has its own distinct culture, value, and sociopolitical experiences in the United States; thus, there is no simple solution to motivate all the children to do well academically. Instead of the overemphasis on innate abilities and the effort expended by some students from certain racial groups, it is worthwhile to ponder on the question of whether our schools, teachers, curriculum and the society are serving as an incentive or a disincentive for their success.