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Model Minority Myth Research Paper

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The “Model Minority Myth,” Mental Health Stigma, and Help Seeking Attitudes Within Asian Subgroups in the United States

Georgette Estilo
1236947
Brunel University
September 18, 2015

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

Introduction The widely popular belief that Asians are “smart” and “always excel in math” are a few of the positive stereotypes that encompass the idea of the “model minority myth.” Few studies have explored the way the endorsement of positive stereotypes found within the “model minority myth” impact psychological well being and help seeking attitude amongst various subgroups of Asians in America. Past research has placed emphasis on Asians in America as one ethnic population without …show more content…
are perceived to have high educational, occupational, and economic statuses and are able to acculturate better due to these successes (Gupta, Szymanski, & Leong, 2011). The idea of the “model minority myth” first sprang up during the 1960’s amidst the racial tension found within the Civil Rights Movement (Lee, 2009). One of the first known reports of the “model minority” were documented by newspapers at the time (U.S. News & World Report and Peterson’s New York Times) and addressed Chinese and Japanese Americans who were hailed as exemplary minorities who were seen as “hard-working people who achieved success without depending on the government” (The Success Story, 1966). The appraisal of Japanese and Chinese in America contrasted greatly with the perceptions of other ethnic minorities at the time, namely black Americans who were conversely seen in a negative light. The idea of a “model minority” instilled the assumption that any Minority can pursue the American dream through hard work (Lee, 2009). However, this sense of “achievement ideology” failed to take into account sociocultural and ethnic group differences. The model minority label spread throughout the 1980’s and incorporated Southeast Asians in addition to Chinese and Japanese Americans (Lee, …show more content…
H2: East Asians will be higher in endorsing positive Asian stereotypes with self and mental health stigma beliefs than Southeast Asians.
H3: East Asians will be lower in help seeking attitudes than Southeast Asians.
H4: Endorsing positive Asian stereotypes and internalized racialism found within the Model Minority Myth will mediate the relationship between mental health stigma and help seeking attitudes.
Method
Participants
Three hundred and ninety-two participants who identified as either from the USA or India were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and were compensated $.75 USD for completing a questionnaire in English. Participants were between the ages of 18 and 74 (M = 27.95, SD = 8.04). There were 214 male participants and 178 female participants. There were a higher percentage of males in the India sample (69.7%) than females (30.3%). In the USA sample, 38.7% of participants were male and 61.3 were female. Independent samples T-tests found that age did not significantly differ amongst males (M = 27.23, SD = 8.0) and females (M = 28.81, SD = 8.03), t(390) = -2.0, p >.05, d = -.20. Additionally, 201 of the participants identified as Indian and 191 identified as American. Independent samples T-tests found age did not significantly differ amongst the USA sample (M = 27.84, SD =8.76) and the Indian sample (M = 28.05,

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