The Model Minority.

Model Minority- Refers to some minority ethnic, racial, or religious group whose members are most often perceived to achieve a higher degree of success than the population average.


Quote:

Student: "Asians are threatening our economic future.
... We can see it right here in our own school. Who are getting into the best colleges, in disproportionate numbers?
Asian Kids! It's not fair."

Teacher: "Uh... That certainly was an unusual essay.
... Unfortunately, it's racist."

Student: "Um... Are you sure? My parents helped me."

-Garry Trudeau (From Chapter 2 of Yellow by Frank H. Wu.)
                     



1. This video was made by a Youtube channel that goes by the user name TheGrandMaster Chu, and they focus primarily on issues regarding the idea of the Model Minority within the Asian community. This video in particular is about a man named Vincent Chin, he was beaten to death on the night before his wedding by two men. As they shouted racial slurs at him, they blamed the Japanese for stealing American automotive jobs. Chin was a Chinese man not Japanese. The men were later sentenced by a judge to 3 years probation and fined $3,000. The video is a rap song using Fort Minors Kenji song instrumentals to explain the story of Vincent Chin. Chin was a Chinese American attempting to work like any other person in America and yet was targeted for "stealing jobs" from other Americans. This created a huge uproar in the Asian community, and they believed that the case was not properly handled.

-This video is a short clip of a full documentary about Vincent Chin. It asks people if they know who he is. As seen in the clip no one knows who Vincent Chin is. The fact that no one knows who he was supports the fact that the individuals who committed the crime were simply given a "warning" if you will for what they have done.

2. The show family guy has made several references to this idea of "Model Minority" within the Asian Community.

- In this first clip it suggest that Asians are all born or programed from the beginning to be smart and also makes reference to another stereotype of Asians having small genitalia.

-The second clip here, shows a scene where classes have come to an end and a group of Asians are already outside waiting in line for the next class day to start. This gives the sense that Asians have no life and do nothing but study or revolve their lives around academics which isn't true.

-These clips illustrate two different ideas in regards to Asians all being academically or intellectually above par. I believe that these expectations that are placed on these individuals by family members or perhaps peers is a catalyst for the continuation of these types of stereotypes.



3. This video is a piece from a CNN report on the controversial topic of "Are Asians Smarter." The Mission San Jose High School in Fremont California is the school in the spotlight. Mission San Jose High School is overwhelmingly Asian and is amongst the best test takers in the country. In 1972, 98 percent of the school was white and now is 20 percent white and nearly 75 percent is Asian. It is said that demographic shifts was the main cause for the increase in Asians. Asian Americans consistently out perform there white class mates on standardized test and nationally Asians lead in grade point average. Hazel Markus, a cultural psychologist at Stanford University says that it is not biological or genetic that Asians are successful but rather notes that in most Asian communities it is "your job" and is prized to bring honor to your family by becoming educated.

-This video was interesting because the stereotype that Asian parents are strict or hold academics close to them is kind of reinforced in this video. Or is it rather showing that academics and higher education is part of a cultural aspect? Statistical data isn't always the best way to go about analyzing ideas or information. Not all Asians succeed equally, many are different depending on where they come from or what their past life experiences are.



4. This image is one of many images that one can most likely find anywhere on the internet. This image in particular is referring to the stereotype that Asian are good in math. The imagine in particular is illustrating that this Asian can do math faster than a calculator that he doesn't need one.

-This video is another clip from the TV show Family Guy. In this scene Peter is taking a math exam, as the students take their calculators out he pulls out an Asian boy from underneath the desk and places him on the desk. Again an example of this stereotype that Asians have this innate characteristic to do math.


5. USA Today New Article: Some Asians' college strategy: Don't check 'Asian'

This is an article that was published in 2011 shedding light on the struggles of being Asian and applying to colleges. Lanya Olmstead was born in Florida to a mother who immigrated from Tawan and an American father of Norwegian ancestry. She considered herself half Taiwanese and half Norwegian, but when applying to Harvard she checked White under the race box. The reason in doing this she said was because her mother told her that there was discrimination in the application process. The idea behind this is, critics believe that Asian-Americans are evaluated not as individuals but rather against thousands of other ultra-achieving Asians who are stereotyped as boring academic robots.

Some Asians' college strategy: Don't check box – USATODAY.comhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2011-12-03/asian-students-college-applications/51620236/1

-In this final photo sums up this over all issue within stereotyping, not only Asians face these issues. Why is stereotyping continuing to thrive? Why allow this to be the basis of how we look at others and how we associate ourselves with one another.