FREE ESSAY ON ASIAN AMERICANS AS MODEL MINORITIES

ASIAN AMERICANS AS MODEL MINORITIES

Asian Americans as Model Minorities
For 20 years, Asian Americans have been portrayed by the press and the media as a
successful minority. Asian Americans are believed to benefit from astounding achievements
in education, rising occupational statuses, increasing income, and are problem-fee in
mental health and crime. The idea of Asian Americans as a model minority has become the
central theme in media portrayal of Asian Americans since the middle 1960s. The term
model minority is given to a minority group that exhibits middle class characteristics,
and attains some measure of success on its own without special programs or welfare. 
Asian Americans are seen as a model minority because even though they have faced
prejudice and discrimination by other racial groups, they have succeeded socially,
economically, and educationally without resorting to political or violent disagreements
with the majority race. The "success" of the minority is offered as proof that the
American dream of equal opportunity is capable to those who conform and who are willing
to work hard. Therefore, the term model minority really is a means (1) to control
minority groups in society, (2) to validate and reinforce the values of the white
majority, and (3) to inform other minority groups that they too could achieve success if
they conform to the values and norms of the middle class.
Statistics that support this model minority theory can be found in many areas, the first
being education. Fifty percent of Asian Americans 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree
compared to twenty-nine percent of the white population. 
Many studies have used standardized tests and school records, such as SAT, GPA, and other
measures to compare the academic performance of Asian American students with non-Asian
American students. Several studies have indicated that the outstanding academic
performance of Asian students might be attributed to their cultural and family values.
Another area of model minority success is found in the professional workforce. Asian
Americans as a group work in the same place of employment as whites. This alone suggests
that they have succeeded. A high percent of Asians are found at the top of professional
and managerial positions. This success in the workforce has also lead Asians to hold one
of the highest income figures per family by race. 
On the other hand, the model minority label is also seen as a myth. This label suggests
that Asian Americans conform to the norms of society, do well in school and careers, are
hardworking and self-sufficient. It follows that Asian Americans are a model for all
groups, especially other minority groups. However, a closer look uncovers serious
problems for if the model minority label accurately describes Asian success, then they
should compare favorably to whites on indicators of success. The myth of the model
minority shows up in academics and industry. For example Asians are typically excluded
from executive standings in public and private areas. In part, this is due to a
discriminatory view that they are either content or they are not suited for executive
positions despite all their education and abilities. Incomes of Asian Americans are also
not what they seem. Asians tend to live in extended families, therefore more members of
the household that work contributes to the perceived high-income status. 
The term model minority is at best and incomplete picture of the Asian-American
experience in the United States. Yet this perception continues, in spite of the fact that
Asians are also discriminated against and have not achieved equality with whites.
Bibliography
WORKS CITED
Delucchi, Michael. "The Model Minority Myth and Perceptions of Asian-Americans as Victims
of Racial Harrassment." College Student Journal 30 (3) (1996): 411-15.
Schaeffer, Richard. Racial and Ethnic Groups. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 2000.
James, Jason. "Minorities in America." 8 Jan. 1998