Week 3: Annie Deng, A01

Annie Deng
Section A01
Week 3

     Asian Americans generally believe they need to have a higher education in order to have financial stability and success. This proves that there is a status and race distinction between Asian Americans and other races. Research has found that even though Asian Americans and whites have the same level of education, white people still supposedly have a higher income. Because of this inequality, Asian Americans tend to strive for higher levels of education to overcompensate for the disparity.

     I was shocked how the Supreme Court had decided to completely disregard white privilege and past discrimination against minority groups when dealing with cases associated with affirmative action. I felt upset when I learned that all Asian Americans were part of the "model minority" because it groups several different Asian cultures into one stereotype — all Asian Americans are socioeconomically doing well (which is definitely not true and it is unfair). When you treat people from different ethnic backgrounds as one single entity, it causes harm because different Asian races have big socioeconomic differences. Statistics and reports comparing Asian Americans and white people/other races do not necessarily acknowledge the economic, political, and social struggles that certain Asian Americans have faced. Therefore, it is wrong to group all Asian Americans as one homogeneous group because it erases the identity of several ethnic groups. All groups categorized as Asian American should be considered when thinking about the effects of affirmative action. 

     Asian Americans have been considered the "model minority," which makes them still an inferior group to the dominant race, but it makes them more successful than all the other minority groups. Because of the model minority myth, Asian Americans are positioned in a troublesome place. Being a model minority suggests that all the other minority groups are at fault for not doing enough to raise their own status in American society. Asian Americans are perceived as better and more successful than other racial groups because of the model minority stereotype, which means that assumptions are made that every single type of Asian American is accomplishing more in all aspects of life such as education. It is unreasonable to say that Asian Americans are the model minority just because some Asian groups have great achievements in higher education. There are many other Asian groups that are struggling, so it is wrong to assume all Asian Americans are in a good standing in society. 
     
Question: What are some approaches on spreading awareness to society about white privilege?

References:
1. Allred, N. C. (2007). Asian Americans and Affirmative Action: From Yellow Peril to Model Minority and Back Again. Asian American Law Journal, 14, 57-84. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
2. Antle, J. (2014, March 24). Asian American Affirmative Action [Digital image]. Retrieved March 11, 2017, from http://www.theamericanconservative.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/80713_6f2b580a89e8691147d51d3727c4c2e3_89123a0d54acee700c05f6944d679776.jpg
3. Poon, O., & Byrd, A. (2013). Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender and Generational Differences in Asian American College Access and Choices. Journal of College Admission, 23-30. Retrieved March 11, 2017.