The Myth Of The Model Minority Summary

Improved Essays
In this Excerpts from The Myth of the Model Minority: Asian Americans Facing Racism, Rosalind S. Chou and Joe R. Fegin focuses on white racism against Asian Americans. With Asian Americans having the title of “model minority” big issues within their community are not addressed like their high rates of suicide and depression. Another difficulty that Asian Americans go through that is overlooked is that they have to give up their cultural and background in order to be successful in America. With Asian Americans having this idea of the “model minority” put on them the few who do not live up to the stereotypes presented to them are looked down upon and if they do meet their stereotypes they are considered geeks or nerds. In the beginning of the reading they speak about a young Chinese American who appears as a model student with her excellent academic status however her grades did not define who she was as an individual. She had tried to commit suicide several times. The authors explained that, “even with numerous warning signs of mental illness, she was never see as a concern” (Chou 224). This is a perfect …show more content…
Asian Americans strive within everything good in the world such as education, and also being able to get a well paid jobs, and overall trying to be being successful. Throughout their efforts they are still victims of racial discrimination, hostility, and stereotypes. Whether you are a minority who has done nothing but capture the American dream you still are not threated entirely as an equal. The book shines light on the different ways that white people treat, talk about and theoretically try to enslave people of color in explicit and harmful ways. With Asian American’s it really opens your eyes about the dynamics of racism and diversity that is spread all out in American. Whether you are as American as the average white person you are an outcast because of how you

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The events that unfolded in the novel resemble the difficulties Nelson’s grandparents faced during and after World War Two. For example, Nelson states, “Military officials questioned my grandmother;s parents and searched their home for any evidence of Japanese loyalty.” Similarly, in the novel, the authorities barged into the homes of Japanese Americans, using the war to justify their unconstitutional actions. This supports my second argument that Asian Americans were void of basic rights protected by the Constitution.…

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One of the common representational strategies that is used in My America… or Honk if you love Buddha is how some of the Asian Americans compare themselves to first-generation Asians. In the documentary, a Mr. Choi appears, and he is described as someone who works for a fortune cookie company, teaches martial arts, and does other tasks that are often associated with the “good oriental” image that Xing describes in “Cinematic Asian Representation.” Meanwhile, Victor Wong, who was born in San Francisco, describes himself as the “Wong that went wrong,” and is an Asian who actively takes part in the arts. Despite working together in the past, Choi practices the stereotypes that are often imposed on Asians, while Victor breaks these stereotypes.…

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Minority Myth Summary

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The video also mentioned that the stereotypes of all Asian Americans are seen as “honorary whites”, overachievers, and as a monitory group that does not…

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    According to Robert G. Lee, culture is defined as “…the particular way of life of a group of people, the expression of intellectual and aesthetic sensibilities, or the production of goods, tastes, and meaning itself” (Schlund-Vials). I also believe culture is defined as the beliefs, morals, and values held by a particular social and ethnic group. Asian-Americans have always been expected to be hardworking, educated, and docile. The three expectations are all examples of the model minority myth. Model minority myth is the culture America has branded on to Asian-Americans for decades prior to the murder of Navroze Mody.…

    • 1459 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    After reading Chapter 14 come of the things that compare to my ethnicity was that Asian American they had to experience come to American to do the cheap labor, they have suffer as much racial discriminations as other people of color. They were not able to own land, or business where not able to attend school with white people or live in white neighborhoods like the African American communities. Still face a lot of poverty and social problems. African American don’t talk about problem to outside world beside their communities. They is a lot of self-hate as not being as good as white Americans.…

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The argument also uncovers that while some Asian Americans could move up in status, they eventually reached the “glass ceiling” and were limited by factors left out of their control. Ronald Takaki’s essay, “The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority” describes why the stereotype is so negative and works to dismiss this dangerous myth with statistics, first hand accounts, an appropriate…

    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    I really enjoyed reading your post. You brought up several reasons why Asian Americans are considered “model minorities”. You mentioned that one stereotype of Asian Americans are “thought of as minorities in this country because they are a minority group that does not require any type of assistance”. In the video Legal Director Myron Quon Model-Minority Myth & APAs (2007), we learned that in Chicago alone, Asian Americans are among one of the poorest minority groups (“Legal Director,” 2007). I love the idea you had regarding educating others about the different Asian cultures.…

    • 186 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    Broader Lens

    • 2206 Words
    • 9 Pages

    (Woo, 2000: 193). Due to that I am Asian; I usually get classified with all of the labels that come with being Asian, such as being a part of the model minority. As a part of the model minority, it is assumed that I, as well as every other Asian American student, should be hard working with a successful future. I personally feel that as a transfer student, everyone has put in hard work, but having the right opportunities is also key in getting into a university. Minority groups in America are being pulled apart instead of coming together and identifying with one another’s problems.…

    • 2206 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Though there were various types of Asian that came to America, many of Americans during the late 19th century and early 20th century perceived all Asians with a similar perspective; an outsider and a threat to the American supremacism. Asian Americans were often mistreated and disdain by the “whites” due to many racial and cultural differences, which caused the institution of “work” to distort the lives of Asian Americans’ economically and socially. One of the major effect from the disdain were the differences in labor niches such as types of occupations, jobs, and industries occupied by Asian migrants. The labor niches often separate the lives of each ethnic groups, therefore also establishing many racial dynamics that impacted the lives of many Asian ethnic groups in the pre-exclusion years.…

    • 782 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Cisneros, having grown up in America, often experienced rifts between her Mexican parents and their cultures as well, and this is reflected in her writing. In “Only Daughter” she writes, “Being only a daughter for my father meant my destiny would lead me to become someone’s wife. That’s what he believed.” Here, cultural values clash as Cisneros recounts the conflicts she has faced in her life due to different ideologies in within her household. Similarly, in “Woman Hollering Creek”, the main character feels isolated from both her father and husband due to the oppression she feels under the traditional Latino values that dictate a woman as property to the men in her life.…

    • 1228 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The cause that women of color happen to be oppress is by racial model minority was because they are seen to be different than a non-women of color that is dominate. In one of the scholarly article it mentions, “…model-minority identity help us understand how Asian Americans can presuppose racism as they deny…

    • 763 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Specifically, the image of Asian Americans is seen as perfectionists and over-achievers with minimal to none social life. This can be just as restricting and dehumanizing as any other overly exerted negative representation and is also a prime example of Model Minority. Model Minority…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    If a person is introduced to stereotypes at a young age, they may have insecurities that will hinder their mental, physical, and spiritual growth. Our society perpetuates these stereotypes through television, movies, advertisements, and even books. We, as a society, must diminish these stereotypes by effectively challenging their substance. American Born Chinese effectively challenges…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In “Ling Woo in Historical Context,” author Chyng Feng Sun talked about how Asian Americans are portrayed in a negative light in the media. The author started off by pointing out how Asian Americans are underrepresented in the media, by drawing reference to the fact that a mere 0.8 percent of tv characters during 1991 and 1992 were Asian Americans with this amount having a slight increase during 1994 through 1997, with the majority of these roles being minor. However, to fully understands how Asians are portrayed one as to look at the history of exploitation endured by the Asian…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This ideology convinces Asians to work exceedingly hard to prove our worth. In the western culture, talents are factored into the success of people and therefore people will not have to choose a path they are not meant for. This hardworking style was used to discharge the racial issues in the US and intensify the Asian-Black relations, a way the white to divert their problem in history. “This stuff about white privilege is nonsense, and if blacks lag, the reason lies in the black community itself.…

    • 660 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays