Section A01
Reading: "Complicating the Image of Model Minority Success: A Review of Southeast Asian American Education" by Bic Ngo and Stacey J. Lee
Success of an Individual Based on A Stereotype?
I have seen the affects of the model minority myth before I even heard of the term. Many have used this stereotype
to either ignore their own failures in academics or criticize those who fail to meet the standards this term has set upon them.
However, in the face of a growing population that is full of diversity, people still use this term even within classrooms without
looking directly at the individual's performance. Ngo and Lee examined this fault in their essay while addressing the huge gap of history and immigration
periods of many Asian American groups, and, specifically, Southeast Asian Americans. They recorded the background of each ethnic group, their general income
since their immigration, the potential reasons of their success, and evidence that leads to their struggle to reach "model minority" status.
I am not surprised that this stereotype still exists; people insist on using stereotypes to full the void of knowledge of a certain group
they are not accustommed to. However, stereotypes are not the excuse to make them fact, and applying them as an academic criteria
by teachers will only fuel this trend of ignorance as well as hurt those who fall short of this stereotype. After all, it is called a myth.
My question here is: Is there still a solid reason for people to look towards the model minority stereotype for any reason? And what actions should Asian Americans take today in this decades-old myth?
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