apush

813 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Immigration to America story

Throughout their history in America, Asian immigrants have struggled in many different ways to encourage this country to accept and respect the diversity of its citizens. Through efforts in labor strikes and military aid such as that in World War II, the American society has gradually moved to accept racial minorities. Asian today have much more freedom than when they first began traveling across the Pacific. However, many still find that they are unjustly viewed by society and treated as “strangers from a different shore” (474). As a second generation Asian American, I have not experienced much discrimination, since I have grown up surrounded by the American language and culture. However, after reading Strangers from a Different Shore, I realized that Asian Americans today are experiencing a new type of prejudice: “The Myth of the ‘Model Minority’” (474).` This stems from Asians’ success in school and in their jobs. The stereotypical idea of “Asian parents” also contributes to this misconception. The media helped spread the idea of this “super minority.” The New Republic praised the “Triumph of Asian-Americans” as “America’s greatest success story,” and CBS’s 60 Minutes presented a glowing report on Asian’s achievements in academics (475). This misconception leads many teachers and employers to assume that all Asians are intelligent beings and little powerhouses of work. Many Asians feel forced to conform to the stereotype, especially that of Asian working mostly in the scientific and technical fields instead of the humanities and social sciences. To be lumped together in a group leaves little freedom to pursue what one enjoys and finds is his or her strength. I have several Asians friends (not from Northgate High) who wish t... ... middle of paper ... ...on-Asians do not take the time to put themselves in our shoes. My mother who immigrated to the United States for graduate school faced racial discrimination. Many workers in restaurants, grocery stores, and administrators mocked her accent and believed her to be “inferior” in some way because of that. They did not consider that English is her second language. If they had just imagined if they were in Taiwan, struggling to adjust to the new culture and language and away from all family and friends, they would not have discriminated my mother. As the years go by, American society is becoming more accepting of racial minorities, but there is always improvements to be made. It is up to posterity to change this hateful practice of racial discrimination. Thus, it is our generation’s duty and responsibility to address these issues and strive to bring changes for the better.

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Are Asian Americans Becoming White

    403 Words  | 1 Pages

    The article by Min Zhou titled "Are Asian Americans becoming "white"? was relatively interesting as it provides a look at a different perspective of Asian Americans regarding immigration. I found it particularly interesting to learn that Asian Americans are considered to be white in equal opportunity programs; however, the race is still seen as different from Americans of European ancestry. Furthermore, I was not shocked to read that Zhou described the Asian American race as the "model minority." When first looking at the reading, I was shocked by the title because I thought it was a little exaggerated. I believe the author could have chosen a more suitable phrase rather than "Asian Americans are becoming white"; however, it does provide significant

    Read More

  • Race in A Different Mirror’ by Ronald Takaki

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    The English immigrants are given a brief introduction as the first ethnic group to settle in America. The group has defined the culture and society throughout centuries of American history. The African Americans are viewed as a minority group that were introduced into the country as slaves. The author depicts the struggle endured by African Americans with special emphasis on the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement. The entry of Asian Americans evoked suspicion from other ethnic groups that started with the settlement of the Chinese. The Asian community faced several challenges such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and the mistreatment of Americans of Japanese origin during World War II. The Chicanos were the largest group of Hispanic peoples to settle in the United States. They were perceived as a minority group. Initially they were inhabitants of Mexico, but after the Westward expansion found themselves being foreigners in their native land (...

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Asian Superiority By Ronald Takaki And Growing Up Asian In America

    2591 Words  | 6 Pages

    ‘The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority’ by Ronald Takaki and ‘Growing up Asian in America’ by Kesaya E. Noda are both essays that depict the state of Asian immigrants in America. The authors are both Asian Americans themselves and their words bear fruit from a lifetime of personal experiences of being a viewed upon as an alien in their own land.

    Read More

  • Internalized Oppression And The Culture Of Silence Analysis

    1292 Words  | 3 Pages

    Asian Americans, often referred to as the “model minority” are also affected negatively. In Keith Osajima’s article “Internalized Oppression and the Culture of Silence”, he focuses on how Asian Americans deal with their form of oppression. He noticed that many of them “were reluctant to take the risk of thinking critically about the inequities in society” (Osajima). He states that the typical quiet, well-behaved Asian American deals with what Erica Sherover Marcuse calls “internalized oppression”. Osajima asserts that internalized oppression “[leads] the oppressed people to believe that the solution to their problem is to become like or to be accepted by those in the dominant group” (Osajima). Therefore, Asian Americans have dealt with their oppression by: being good students, going to college, and getting well-paying jobs, like their white counterparts. This is where the phrase “model minority” comes in for Asian Americans. Because so many Asian Americans excel in school, the pressure to perform well is immense. Southeast Asians in particular “are not able to conform to this unrealistic expectation and in fact, have the highest high school dropout rates in the country” (C.N. Le). Osajima sums his argument up perfectly with his final sentence when he states that “the educational process can do more than reproduce a compliant work force, but can be a vehicle for liberation.” (Osajima). His strategies for allowing his classroom to serve as a site for liberation included cutting down on lecture time, encouraging students to take risks with their thinking, and assuring his students that their contributions would be respected and not be looked down upon. With encouragement and the use of these techniques, Asian Americans can begin to think critically about their role in society

    Read More

  • Takaki The Harmful Myth Of Asian Superiority Summary

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Takaki’s The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority, he clearly and effectively states that the belief that Asians Americans are a “model minority” is not true and racist. This fallacy has caused harm to this culture and is a negative comparison with other minorities. His purpose was to inform the reader that even “good” stereotypes can damage ethnicities. Takaki’s essay was effective, however he lacked a counter argument which made him seem biased.

    Read More

  • The Model Minority Myth Of Asian Americans

    2319 Words  | 5 Pages

    In 1970, the term “model minority” was popularized by journalists, social commentators and some academics to refer to Asian Americans. The stereotype suggests that Asian Americans are more academically, economically and socially successful than any other racial minority groups, and it was achieved by overcoming disadvantages through hard work, thrift, strong family ties, and emphasizing children’s education. Contrary to this popular belief by Americans, the exaggerated praising of Asian Americans as the model minority is false. This positive image of Asian Americans as a model minority has a sinister core of believe about Asian Americans and other racial minorities in America: a view of Asian American as foreign. Since most studies on Asian children centered on their success stories and the realization of the invisible crisis that many Asian American children face is fairly recent, few studies have addressed the diverse and complex experiences of Asian American children, especially those who do not fit the model minority stereotype. This paper revisits the model minority myth and examines the impact of model minority myth on underachieving student who are failing schools. I will first present a contextualized understanding of the “model minority myth,” what is it and what does it mean to be model minority. Secondly, I will demonstrate that the myth has been inaccurate and invalid representation for many Asian American students. Then, I discuss the impact of the model minority stereotype on underachieving Asian American student schooling. I argue that the stereotype has pose a threat to the students’ advancement on school and society. In order to illustrate the impact of the model minority stereotypes on individual experiences, I r...

    Read More

  • Selection From Once Upon A Quinceanera Analysis

    1587 Words  | 4 Pages

    Asians are ridiculed for their facial characteristics and their inability to express themselves due to the language barriers. An Asian wants to be recognized for his accomplishments not his looks; however to the society he is looked upon as “an invisible person, barely distinguishable from mass of faces that resemble [him]” (Yang 533). Asians aren’t looked upon as an individual; in fact they are looked upon as being just like the rest. The first impression Americans have of Asians is that “[they] are good at math, [and] play the violin;” these stereotypes make them feel like “quasi-robots who simply do not matter, socially or culturally” (Yang 533). Their eyes and physical appearances keep them from fulfilling their goals in life which forces them to break the barrier and assimilate into the American culture. Portraying oneself as anything other than American automatically lowers an individual’s chance of succeeding in life. Once again, the “melting pot” metaphor is supported because Asian immigrants are forced to adapt to the American way of living which leads them to leave behind their heritage and

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Mother's Tongue By Amy Tan

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Essay the author addresses the stereotypes Asian Americans face in society in regards to education, in the work field, and language. In our society today Asian Americans are considered to have “broken”

    Read More

  • Asian-American Stereotypes

    232 Words  | 1 Pages

    For decades, Asian-Americans are characterized by the media as a successful minority because of their intelligence, hard work, and emphasis on education. However, an ongoing debate whether the model minority stereotype is a myth or reality has surfaced as a growing concern for Asian-American students because it puts an unnecessary pressure of living up to the stereotype. A prudent analysis of Asian-American stereotype and myths along with a thorough understanding of the realities could assist Asian-American students to fulfill higher education opportunities and overcome academic barriers.

    Read More

  • Racism In Shanghai Girls, By Lisa Lee

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    For nearly a century, spanning from the latter half of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, Chinese-Americans and Chinese immigrants endured discrimination from the United States government and its people. The Chinese are another group of people that were treated as less than in America’s long history of legal racism. The Chinese experience is often overlooked as other

    Read More

  • Matrices Of Privilege And Oppression

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    There is a stereotype associated with Asians about being “perfectionists.” We always need to do everything so “neatly”, “perfectly” with ease. Everyone expects us to be super-smart and when we do our jobs, we do it to perfection; just like Janice cutting the cucumber precisely, exact, even, and quick slices. My roommate always praises me for being so “studious” and constantly makes stereotypical comments like “Of course, you should know that, you’re Asian” when it comes to anything that deals with math, or “Of course you would (referring to a job I did) you’re Asian.” There is a big burden that instantly comes with being born an Asian. We are always harassed by this stereotype, and people always have displayed these types of actions towards Asians.

    Read More

  • Asian American Model Minority Essay

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    Despite Asian Americans extended history of discrimination in the U.S., on average they have surpassed or reached parity with their white counterparts in multiple socioeconomic indicators such as income, educational attainment, and net worth. Due to this success, Asian Americans have been labeled the “model minority”, attributing their achievements to cultural values such as hard work, devotion to education, and discipline. The model minority argument is an ideological argument framed by cultural racism to discredit the achievements of Asian Americans in the U.S. while simultaneously targeting the cultural values of other minorities in the U.S. This argument is used to reinforce the racial structure in the U.S. by granting fair-skinned Asian

    Read More

  • Model Minority Myth Essay

    475 Words  | 1 Pages

    It is very interesting on how the America’s mindset on the Asian American community has changed from yellow peril to model minority in the span of 100 years. I remember my family talking about how Asians are taking over the educational market and the jobs in the USA and accepted it as a fact and backed up the fact due to the cultural values and tiger parenting as one of the major reason. However, after surveying 600 middle and high school children, and the research by Pickerill showed that tiger parenting causes children to lose self-esteem and complicates school adjustment compared to supportive parenting. While taking the course, I was surprised to know how the government played an important role in shaping the model minority myth. In the

    Read More

  • Asian American Stereotypes Essay

    482 Words  | 1 Pages

    Many of the qualities that make Asian Americans the “model minority” are also used to discriminate against them and other minorities as well. Traditionally Asian Americans are viewed as enterprising, industrious and intelligent. Many other minorities compare unfavorably to this traits, thus are perceived as “inferior” by the dominant group. On the other hand, the dominant group also feels threatened by this perceived superiority and tries to relegate Asian Americans to lower positions in the managerial ladder. This is considered the “bamboo ceiling,” because it prevents well educated and capable Asian Americans from reaching their full employment potential. The discrimination against Asian minorities is not limited to the work place, though. There have been many incidents of reported racial violence against this group, mainly instigated by outdated and ignorant anti-Asian sentiments. It is worth noting that the discrimination suffered by Asian Americans has been somewhat lessened, due in part to their outstanding achievements and their ability to avoid said

    Read More

  • Japanese American Are A Minority Group

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout Americas history, there has been prejudice, discrimination, and segregation. The prejudice, discrimination, and segregation of African-Americans and Native Americans are well known and often portrayed in movies. The group that is less exposed in movies is the prejudice, discrimination, and segregation of Asians. Mine is about a minority group that has seen prejudice, discrimination, and segregation that is now recognized universally deplorable the Japanese American. The incarceration of the Japanese by the United States during World War II is now considered unjust. After “Executive Order 9066 the army moved 40,000 long-term immigrants, and 77,000 United States citizens of Japanese descent.” (Miksch and Ghere, 2004 p. 212) Although, at that time “Most people thought internment of enemy aliens was a normal precaution in wartime situations.” (Miksch and Ghere, 2004 p. 211) “The practice of internment of enemy aliens is normal practice in Canada, Australia, United States, and European countries.” (Miksch and...

    Read More

More about apush

Open Document