Debunking the Model Minority Myth

Being a role model isn’t always the most glamorous thing in life. Whether it be as an older brother or sister, a club leader, or an executive in a company, there is always a sense of responsibility and necessity to be successful tied to our association with these things. But what about being a role model based on your skin color? Through the model minority myth, Asian Americans have been put into this role model status, expected to be good at everything and be particularly successful compared to other minority groups. One may think that being grouped into a positive characteristic would be more beneficial than harmful, however some of the effects this myth has on Asian Americans is anything but positive. Because the model minority myth places high expectations on Asian Americans, many constantly have feelings of self doubt, inadequacy, psychological problems or even suicide. Personally, I have brushed off racist jokes like they were no big deal, felt disappointment every time I wasn’t able to achieve the high grades that society expected me to achieve as an Asian American student, and felt that my daily struggles were not valid to be real problems because as an Asian American, I should be tough and figure it out myself. This myth chains Asian Americans, keeping them from speaking up to seek help and instead handle the burdensome task of life to be resolved in our own hands.

However, the model minority myth affects more than just Asian Americans. In acknowledging this myth in everyday society, we are also invalidating the successes of our peers and creating struggles, particularly for those that are African American. Among those that are anti-black there is a long standing argument that if Asians, a minority group like African Americans, are able to find success through hard work, then African Americans should be able to do the same. However, this does not acknowledge the fact that the inherent system we live under makes it so that hard work is not always enough for African Americans to generate success. When the system is inherently flawed, looking towards a minority group that could find success only with an advantage does not make sense. We need to all be on an even playing ground, and shattering the model minority myth is a potential first step.

Regardless of the color of our skin, we can all have unique roles in our life. We can be brothers or sisters, hold varying professions or have different interests. If anything, these factors are more crucial to our self identity than what the color of our skin implies. If the system is flawed for one, it is flawed for all and this is something that needs to be changed.