Week 3_Annalisa C. Dailo_A02

This week's theme is about marginalization amongst Asian Americans, facing the "model minority" generalization and how some AAPIs and SEAAs' upbringing and cultures are overlooked and are meshed with each other, becoming a huge assumption. In Manee Moua's article "Navigating Graduate Education as a First-Generation, Hmong American Woman: An Autoethnogrophy," she talks about her struggles she has faced being in graduate school. One of the things that she talked about that I found pretty interesting was her experience having imposter syndrome.
As she was talking about her experience, I couldn't help but to think about how I am from middle school all the way up till this day. I always felt that in no matter what situation I was put in, I thought I had to work a lot harder in order to achieve. Most of the time, I would compare myself amongst my peers and it would mess with my self esteem when it came to my educational value. After high school and during my first year, I still came in with the same mindset; however, I'm a lot better about it this year than last.
Another topic that I found interesting was the model minority assumption in her experience. It reminds me of what we were talking about in discussion as to what "makes" a model minority. It is the generalization that Asian Americans are hard working and will not complain about their work because it is "easier" to not fight back. Although I know some people who fall under this assumption, I know it is not true for everyone because of the various backgrounds that we have grew up with.

Question: Will the "model minority" mindset be outdated within a couple of generations?

References:

Moua, M.(N/A). Navigating Graduate Education as a First-Generation, Hmong American Woman: An Auto-ethnography. Hmong Studies Journal, vol 19(1): 1-25.

Picture:

"It's His Fault," political cartoon, 2003, from Washington Post Writers Group