Cheng Zeng, ASA 002, A02, Week 6

In the article of“Hmong Does Not Mean Free: The Miseducation of and by Hmong Americans,” the writer points out such miseducation of many Hmong. Similar to many Asian American family, the second-generation of Hmong community are expected to modify American customs, culture, and language. In addition, they are giving up their own Hmong culture and disdain to understand it because they think they are already Americans. 

However, after reading John' Cho's article, I gain an understanding that the novel coronavirus pandemic reminds us that Asian American’s sense of belonging is conditional. Maybe one moment they are Americans, and the next, we're all foreigners who brought the virus to the United States of America. I would like to relation such circumstances similar to reputation in which the model minority myth can give the illusion that there is no race discrimination. No matter they are prominent figures from the Asian minority to the altar silences those who question the injustice of the system. People think that Asians are bound to succeed which means they are used to prove that the system works, which also means that if it doesn't work for you, it's your own fault. Even if 12 percent of the minority lives below the poverty line, the model minority myth serves to preserve the status quo, which is bad for non-whites.

Why does the model minority myth serve to preserve the statue quo?

Reference： 
Mouavangsou, K. “Hmong Does Not Mean Free: The Miseducation of and by Hmong Americans”. Fight the Tower. Rutgers University Press.

John Cho, John Cho: Coronavirus reminds Asian American like me that our belongings is conditional, Los Angela’s Times, April 22 2020.