The Model Minority

Model Minority is a term to describe a group of minorities in a society that is seen to have substantial financial success and stability compared to other minority groups. It is used to contrast one minority group to another and was first coined to describe Japanese Americans in the 1960s, where they were seen to have success despite a history of racial prejudice after World War II. While originally aimed to describe Japanese Americans, it has since expanded to describe Asian Americans, where they are seen to have financial, academic, and economic success.

On its surface, the term can be seen as a positive description of a group of minorities, but many denounce the terminology on many accounts. In this passage, two major critiques will be explored: the dangers of grouping an entire population to a single descriptor, and its usage to place Asian Americans against other minority groups like the Black community. 

Looking at average household incomes and poverty rates alone, one would think that Asian Americans are well-off. Asian Americans continue to outperform in average incomes compared to Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics [1]. However, this does not paint the full picture. In fact, when looking at individuals within each of the racial groups, Asian Americans experience the highest wealth gap. That is, the difference in income between the poorest Asian Americans and the wealthiest ones is greater than the gap between those of Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics [2]. Some attribute this income wealth gap to immigrants who came from skills-based work visas like the H1-B visa as opposed to those who are refugees and asylum seekers. Regardless of the origin of these disparities, the Model Minority term strips away the broad diversity that describes a growing population in the US. 

The term Model Minority not only fails to describe the nuances and diversity within a community, but it has been a way to divert away from systemic racism among other minority groups. In fact, the original article that introduced the Model Minority contrasted Japanese Americans against Black Americans. It described that when all minority groups are given programs for academic and economic opportunity, certain minority groups end up being more successful. This argues that it is on the onus of the minority groups themselves to be economically successful and that it absolves institutionalized racism. However, this article vastly overlooks the nuances of different opportunities and histories of each of these groups. The fact that this term was coined by a white American to describe two differing minority groups can put into context the shortcomings of this description. 

Many call it the Model Minority Myth, citing it as a debunked term that should not be used to describe Asian Americans but should be remembered as a term to combat any overgeneralizations of an entire minority population in the US.

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Sources and additional materials:

• Model Minority used as a racial edge: link 

• Critique on the term Model Minority: link 

• The New York Times article that first coined the “Model Minority” term: link 

• University of Southern California student narratives on the Model Minority Myth: link 

[1] link 

[2] link