Growing up with few Asian peers, my friends and I often felt subjected to common stereotypes. While we had our fair share of degrading comments about our food or eye size, people occasionally sandwiched their microaggressions with the “compliment” that we naturally excelled at math and science. This statement is an example of the model minority myth, which maintains the idea that Asian Americans are “more successful” than other minorities while still playing within the rules of a Eurocentric society.
This experience wasn’t limited to my small town. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly two-thirds of Asian adults have experienced stereotypes associated with the model minority myth. It imposes unrealistic expectations on Asian Americans and minimizes their struggles.
While this model minority myth may have good intentions, its broader implications are harmful to the Asian American community. There’s a healthier way to acknowledge disparities between minority groups and struggles within the Asian community. Instead of perpetuating stereotypes, Asian culture can be used as a means of bridging gaps between minorities.
“I don’t see myself as an Asian psychiatrist,” psychiatrist Khoa Nguyen said. “I see myself as a psychiatrist, but there are times when my background helps me (understand) where (my patients and their family) are coming from.”
Sociologist William Petersen coined the term in 1966, explicitly using it to compare Asian Americans to other immigrant groups and effectively create a divide. By pitting minorities against one another, it’s easier to erase their solidarity.
“It’s harder to relate with other minority groups (since) the model minority doesn’t apply to them,” biology freshman Anusha Narway said. “Coming from a predominantly Asian high school, I sometimes find it difficult to relate to other people of color because we don’t all have the same backgrounds.”
In addition, the model minority stereotype minimizes the struggles of Asian Americans. The myth falsely perpetuates the idea that Asian Americans do not experience the same struggles as other people of color because they are meeting a heightened standard of success. In reality, Asian culture encompasses so much diversity and nuance that it’s impossible to blanket this accusation on an entire ethnic group.
“We do have very high standards in terms of what is expected of us, but I feel like that’s not who we are as people,” Narway said. “There’s so much more to us. We have so many stories … and we’re not all the same … I don’t think it’s fair to say that we are the model minority because not all of us have had that privilege.”
This unrealistic narrative prevents many Asian Americans from seeking help, especially regarding mental health. The myth enforces the idea that successful individuals are incapable of having struggles, and if they do, they’re strong enough to overcome them alone. In actuality, ethnicity and upbringing don’t make a person less worthy of seeking assistance.
“A lot of times, (my Asian patients) are afraid to tell their families that they have mental illnesses,” Nguyen said. “They’re very discreet about their mental illness because they don’t want other people to know that they have a mental illness, especially their family. That can translate to (very severe symptoms) before they will seek treatment.”
Struggle and success may be influenced by ethnicity, but it doesn’t automatically equate to it. By reframing the issue around the individual struggles of our peers instead of blaming their ethnicity for their success, we can open the conversation to a healthier and more complex viewpoint on how to view stereotypes and ethnicity.
Lam is a computer science freshman from Mansfield, Texas.
