Model Minority

It’s still a far cry from completely demolishing the interminority racism in my family, much less the interracial conflicts in our society as a whole. White versus minority conversations tend to eclipse those of minority versus minority.

Our culture’s synonymous usage of the ‘Asian American’ and ‘model minority’ labels does not just pose a problem for Asian Americans, but for all Americans. It’s become a natural reflex in America to assign people to stereotypes — a habit that seems to be as old as time itself.

The label of being the “model minority” — one that I rarely find any Asian American actually taking pride in — is more discriminatory than it is flattering.

Before COVID-19, I had never experienced overt racism. Trump racializes the disease in ways that cause people to target individuals who look like me: Asian.

The term Asian American has been powerful in uniting Asian minority groups, but who does this alliance ultimately benefit?

i will tear apart these notions of me.

Negative stereotypes are widely acknowledged as harmful, so they’re often effectively rejected. But positive stereotypes, which are widely embraced and even considered flattering, can be equally detrimental.