Model Minority Myth in Education

Kathleen Stedman, Psychology, '20 

In my second self-directed learning project, I chose to better understand the Model Minority Myth, as this is something that has personally affected me throughout my education. As it is considered a positive stereotype, any negative effects are often overlooked. I conducted a literature review in order to better understand how this myth affects Asian Americans in how they internalize it. 

It seems as though the effects of the Model Minority Myth (MMM) is often overlooked, particularly because it is seen as a positive stereotype. Compared to stereotypes and myths that are held for other minorities, this particular one may seem beneficial, not detrimental. However, I was interested in better understanding if the MMM has any potential negative effects, particular for Asian Americans (AAs) that are overlooked. 

Researchers found that the general attitude of AAs in reflecting on how they are treated when it comes to their race is divided into two subsections, academic and interpersonal (Thompson, 2016). The myth regarding academics deals with how AAs are viewed through their education; highly intelligent, hard work ethic, and prestigious careers. AAs who are viewed through the myth in terms of interpersonal aspects are viewed as quiet, humble, and respectful.

Source: https://isaase.org/myth-model-minority/

The Model Minority Myth extends into all facets of education. A recent lawsuit against Harvard University Admissions focuses on alleged discrimination AAs in the admission process. In this case, the prosecution accuses Harvard of not granting admittance towards AAs, despite them having the grades, extra-curricular activities, and essay responses that the typical Harvard admitted student would have.

            Atkin et al. (2018) examined if school environment (non-Asian vs. Asian dominant) influences the extent to which AAs internalize the MMM, and the effect to which this had on internalization and psychological stress. The researchers found that AAs in non-Asian schools were more likely to internalize the MMM, most likely due to the salience of their race. A major part of this involves holding the “token” minority card, which would support the research regarding those in a non-Asian school.

The MMM also concentrates AAs into specific jobs and majors, pressuring AAs to not only fill these roles, but feel inadequate when they don’t perform well in these subjects. Mcgee et al. (2017) found that college students believe that the stereotype masks and minimize the smaller ways in which they were discriminating against, which has detrimental effects in the long-term. For any individual, internalizing and delegitimizing one’s own struggles is damaging. The authors of this article also mentioned the concept that AAs have held, being called “almost White” or an “honorary” white. Not only does this erase their own identity in that they are being centered and identified with an ethnicity that they do not hold, but they are also being told that the perfect version of their own race is equated to being White.

In addition to the typical AA, I researched into other model minorities. Tan (2018) looked into Chinese children who were adopted into White families. The reasonable hypothesis in investigated these children/students would find that because of the absence of a traditional Chinese family, these adopted children would not perform as well as other Chinese students with Chinese families. However, researchers found that adopted Chinese students performed just as well as their other Chinese peers. Perhaps this is due in part to the pressures that are put upon them by classmates. While this is not necessarily evidence to support negative effects to the MMM, it’s important to note how these stereotypes are perpetuated and internalized by individuals who hold their own unique identity and are being boxed into a stereotype of an individual that they appear as, but are not themselves.

Source: http://www.thesmithsophian.com/challenging-the-myth-of-asian-americans-as-the-model-minority/

I wanted to research this because of curiosity, and because of my own experiences as an Asian American. I was adopted from China around the age of 1, and have lived with my two White parents in Connecticut for the majority of my life. Throughout my education, I often felt the pressure to perform well, particularly in subjects related to math. For superlatives, I was voted to be the “Math Whiz”, along with the one other Chinese student in my grade. Despite knowing that I rarely excelled at anything to do with math, my peers concluded the two Chinese students in the grade were naturally the Math Whiz candidates. Since then, I have continued to feel the pressure to prove that I am good at a subject I’m not passionate about, and passive comments from friends continue to make me feel guilty for not choosing a STEM-based career path, despite constant encouragement from my parents to pursue what I am truly interested in.

References

Atkin, Annabelle L., et al. “Internalization of the Model Minority Myth, School Racial Composition, and Psychological Distress among Asian American Adolescents.” Asian American Journal of Psychology, vol. 9, no. 2, June 2018, pp. 108–116. doi:10.1037/aap0000096. 

Hartocollis, Anemona. “Harvard's Admissions Process, Once Secret, Is Unveiled in Affirmative Action Trial.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/us/harvard-admissions-affirmative-action.html?action=click&module=RelatedCoverage&pgtype=Article®ion=Footer.

Mcgee, Ebony O., et al. “The Burden of Being 'Model': Racialized Experiences of Asian STEM College Students.” Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, vol. 10, no. 3, Sept. 2017, pp. 253–270. doi:10.1037/dhe0000022. 

Ngo, Bic, and Stacey J. Lee. “Complicating the Image of Model Minority Success: A Review of Southeast Asian American Education.” Review of Educational Research, vol. 77, no. 4, Dec. 2007, pp. 415–453. doi:10.3102/0034654307309918. 

Tan, Tony Xing. “Model Minority of a Different Kind? Academic Competence and Behavioral Health of Chinese Children Adopted into White American Families.” Asian American Journal of Psychology, vol. 9, no. 3, Sept. 2018, pp. 169–178. doi:10.1037/aap0000106. 

Thompson, Taylor L., et al. “'You’Re Asian; You’Re Supposed to Be Smart': Adolescents’ Experiences with the Model Minority Stereotype and Longitudinal Links with Identity.” Asian American Journal of Psychology, vol. 7, no. 2, June 2016, pp. 108–119.  doi:10.1037/aap0000038.