Thread by @SarahSoonLing

So, I’m seeing more and more invocations of the #ModelMinorityMyth on here. There are a LOT of reasons it’s problematic, but here are some of the key points.

The Model Minority Myth as erasure:

(A thread)

1. First and foremost:

The model minority myth upholds and perpetuates anti-Black racism. Saying “this group is so hardworking and successful!” validates mirror image stereotypes that other groups must be inherently deficient.

2. The model minority myth is used to deny white supremacy. Saying “Asians are doing well, so our society isn’t racist” is ahistorical and not based in reality, but you see people using this logic quite frequently.

3. The model minority myth is used as a wedge between minoritized groups. It hinders solidarity in part because it positions Asians and Asian Americans in proximity to (but not quite the same as) Whiteness.

4. The model minority myth erases actual racism and hatred that Asians and Asian Americans have experienced historically and are experiencing right now. It makes it easier for people to say “it was sex addiction, not racism” or to erase intersections of race, gender, class etc.

5. The model minority myth erases our historical roles in civil rights movements and struggles for social justice. Few US schools talk about the role of Filipino labor activists or Asian women in Black liberation movements, as just a couple examples.

6. The model minority myth erases Asians and Asian Americans and from the standard curriculum more generally. The idea that Asians are “basically white” mean that less credence is sometimes given to appeals for better inclusion and representation in schooling.

7. The model minority myth erases successes that do not fit the perceived norm for Asian Americans. An easy example of this is how Asians are portrayed in popular media. There are plenty of doctors and IT guys and very few athletes, romantic leads, or, I don’t know, woodworkers.

8. The model minority myth erases the differences between Asian ethnic groups, immigration policies, and so on. By focused on *some* East and South Asian groups that are more educationally and economically privileged, the myth erases the realities of other groups.

9. The model minority myth erases the fact that many Asian ethnic groups have a less than “model” experience in the US precisely because of US imperialism and military and immigration to begin with.

10. The model minority myth erases the beautiful, rich diversity among and between Asian and Asian American individuals and subgroups.

11. The model minority myth erases the older “yellow peril” stereotype, which never actually went away.

12. The model minority myth erases the ongoing reality that Asians are, in fact, marginalized. The word “minority” is in the name of the stereotype, ffs!! It means that this group is always and forever a “minority”, or, in other words, never quite a part of the dominant group.