One of the many burdens that accompanies the label minority is the unbelievable variety of stereotypes society places on others. Stereotypes can be very detrimental because they are often very negative and humiliating to those on the receiving end. Many people who hear stereotypes believe them, and that leads to the further misconception of different people and their cultures. Now consider this: What if there was a stereotype so wonderful that it made others look at your culture as a fine example for other cultures to follow? What if people classified you as belonging to the most brilliant, successful culture they knew? How could a stereotype like that ever be hurtful to its recipients? There is one such stereotype known as the “model minority” stereotype. The expression “model minority” was first used in 1960, by sociologist William Peterson. His article, “Success Story: Japanese American Style,” which appeared in The New York Times, congratulated Japanese Americans for not becoming a “problem minority.” It also praised the Japanese American’s strong cultural values and hard work ethics (Kim & Yap, 2003). Since then, this stereotype has flourished and has lead many to believe that Asians are naturally successful in every aspect of their lives, and has left Asians, more specifically students, feeling extreme pressure to do what society expects of them. By learning the truth behind the stereotypes surrounding the “model minority,” teachers can help Asian students succeed in the classroom, as well as create social awareness to the realities of the “model minority.”
Before addressing the damaging affects of this stereotype, it is extremely important to know to whom exactly this stereotype refers. The term Asian refers to “a variety of national, cultural, and religious heritages. Asian—Americans represent more than 29 distinct subgroups who differ in language, religion, and customs” (Feng 1994). There are four main groups of Asian-Americans: East Asian, Pacific Islander, Southeast Asian, and South Asian. The group labeled East Asian includes races such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The title Pacific Islander refers to the Native Hawaiian people. Southeast Asians refers to several races including Thais and Vietnamese. South Asians is the title for several cultures like Indians and Pakistanis. There are many similarities among the subgroups, but they differ in history, ecological adaptation, and origin. There are also individual differences one must consider, such as reasons for migration, and hopes and expectations of certain groups or families (Feng, 1994). The fact that the term Asian encompasses so many nationalities is important because there are many Asians of one group who succeed and many from other groups who do not. People then believe that all Asians are successful, when in reality there are some very unfortunate ones included in the same group that stands out so brightly in statistics (Le, 2001).
When looking at Figure 1, it is also very obvious that not many Asian-Americans have public assistance. The “model minority” stereotype makes it very difficult for Asian-Americans to ask for public assistance because people can not imagine the “highly successful” Asian-Americans needing it, and their struggles are often disregarded by the media. (Yin, 2000) Ka Ying Yang, the executive director of the South East Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), notes in the article The Myth of the Model Minority, “There’s so little research on us, or we’re lumped in with all other Asians, so people don’t know the specific needs and contributions of our communities” (Thrupkaew, 2002). Until statistics break down the term Asian, the “model minority” stereotype will persist and the needs of Asians struggling in this country will continue to be ignored.
Those who are lucky enough to acquire higher education face many problems as well. Non-Asian classmates tend to ask Asian-American students for help on homework, that most of the time, the Asian student finds just as difficult. When Asian students fail to provide any help, their classmates believe they are faking ignorance in order to avoid helping them (Blue, 2003). In some extreme cases, racial violence and threats have been directed at Asian-American students by White students who have spoken out against Asian-American’s supposed “economic [and therefore educational] success,” results of the “model minority” stereotype (Delucchi & Do, 1996). Josie Gin, director of Asian Pacific American Student Affairs at the University of Arizona, describes another negative affect of the stereotype in the article Model Minority Myth Troubles Students, “Expectations created by the myth can place an unreasonable amount of pressure on students to succeed. Students who can’t live up to those expectations sometimes become so discouraged that they give up school entirely” (Blue, 2003). Furthermore, the expectations society places on Asian students raises parent’s expectations, therefore “raising the bar” to an extremely high level. Very often, when Asian students fail to fulfill family expectations they commit suicide in order to avoid bringing shame and disgrace to their families. Japan, as well as the U.S., suffers a high suicide rate among its youth for this particular reason (Heinrichs, p. 87). All things considered, Asian-Americans are not as educationally successful as the “model minority” makes them out to be.
With the truth about the “model minority” stereotype in mind, the obvious question prevails. What can teachers do to help reduce or abolish the detrimental effects of this myth? In the article Asian-American Children: What Teachers Should Know, Trueba and Cheng suggest learning a few words in the Asian student’s native language. By displaying an interest in the child’s native language, teachers can make way for better communication with the child. It is also important that there is collaboration with ESL teachers and language professionals.
Another suggestion is to encourage Asian parents to provide help to one another by creating an association of Asian parents that can provide assistance to new arrivals in their Asian community. Teachers can help Asian students succeed by “basing their academic expectations on individual ability rather than on stereotypical beliefs.” By setting all misconceptions aside and basing their expectations on the student’s unique abilities, teachers leave no room for expectations higher than the student can handle, thus eliminating extreme pressure (Feng, 1994).
Another way to help Asian students succeed is to create strong communication with the student’s parents and family. Getting to know the student’s family is a great way to learn things about the student that teachers otherwise would not know. For example, if given the opportunity, planning a visit to the child’s home to meet his or her parents can offer insight to the type of home-life the child leads (Feng, 1994). This interaction helps to reduce any misunderstandings based on the family’s culture. The most important suggestion offered in the article is to become familiar with your students’ cultures. Baruth and Manning suggest that by becoming familiar with the “values, traditions, and customs” of the child, teachers can effectively reduce misunderstandings based on the culture. For example, “while a student may be told at school to challenge others’ views, the same child may be told at home to be quiet and not challenge authority” (Feng, 1994). The clash between expectations can be confusing to both the child and the teacher. Another great example lies in something as simple as a Chinese family’s way of treating congestion. There is a common healing method in the Chinese culture called cupping, in which “bamboo cups are immersed in hot water, and then applied to the body at [certain] acupuncture points. When the cup is put on the skin, the hot air inside cools and creates suction.” This causes the skin to swell and leaves small bruise-like markings on the skin. (Kalman, p. 27) At a first glance, a teacher may mistake these marks for bruises and see them as a certain sign of abuse, when in reality, it is simply a home remedy for a common ailment. To avoid this type of situation, it is helpful to know as much as possible about the student’s culture and family traditions.
No matter how wonderful it sounds, the “model minority” stereotype has been anything but wonderful to the Asian-American minority. Instead of being kind to this minority group and making them feel like they have reached the “American Dream,” we have handed them a burden that has weakened the potential of a great culture. In order to help Asian-Americans succeed in this country, society must overlook the stereotypes directed at this ethnic group, and treat each person as an individual. A great place to start is in the classroom. Teachers can begin by setting an example for society by taking the time to learn about the various Asian cultures of the students who sit in their classrooms each day, by getting to know the families, and by keeping all assumptions and ridiculously high expectations at bay. By being well informed and learning to keep an open mind about diversity, society will allow all the cultures in this great ethnic group thrive.
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