DEI Collab: Model Minority Myth and Implications in Mental Health
In the United States, the framing of the Asian American population as the “model minority” within social hierarchy has contributed to vast implications in race relations. This perception of Asian Americans characterizes them as a hardworking, successful and socially obedient ethnic minority that has overcome the oppression and difficulties associated with being a minority (1). On the surface level, this perception may not seem problematic as it highlights positive characteristics about them. However, this stereotype has been utilized as an excuse to downplay the racism and disparities experienced by other minority groups. This also undermines the weight of anti-Asian hate crimes, through their portrayal in the media and perception by the public. Further, expectations associated with this “model minority” classification have also been internalized by Asian Americans. Thus, these associated social pressures have manifested into daily struggles at the individual level, stemming from a lack of understanding of the cultural nuances of this group’s lived experiences.
As humans, we typically learn and make connections about our surroundings through categorizations. This helps us characterize objects and predict outcomes. However, in the social context, this has evolved into classifying, or stereotyping, different groups of people based on factors including their race, skin color, ethnic background. While we have been socially primed to make these quick judgments based on observations, utilizing the same forms of classification that we use on objects on humans has contributed to various lapses in understanding and ethical concerns through their implications (2).
The model minority myth, like all stereotypes, fails to account for the complexity and variance in humans and human outcomes. The concept of the model minority is directed toward Asian Americans. However, the use of umbrella terms does not acknowledge that this classification of “Asian American” consists of more than 30 ethnic subgroups from various countries in Asia (1). While these 30(+) groups are supposedly characterized by their financial success, the Asian population in the United States is the group with the largest income inequality, as Asians in the top 10% of the income distribution earn 10.7 times as much as those in the bottom 10% (3).
This level of disparity within the Asian American population is where the issues of stereotyping and generalization contribute to adverse outcomes in people’s lives. The internalization of the expectations of the model minority myth – for Asian Americans to be a financially successful, smart, law-abiding minority group – has contributed to various mental health struggles in individuals due to internal and external pressures created by this myth. While Asian Americans have a 17.30% lifetime rate of psychiatric disorders, they are three times less likely to seek mental health services than their white counterparts (4). The lack of Asian Americans seeking mental health services can be attributed to stigmas surrounding those who seek mental services in many Asian cultures, and a lack of awareness of the severity of mental health issues in certain Asian communities (5). The implications of the superficial characterization as the model minority do not fully align with the backgrounds and cultures of the groups this concept attempts to classify.
Ultimately, the stereotyping of the model minority myth strives to utilize superficially positive framing of a subgroup within the United States to undermine the widespread impacts of racism and systemic inequality faced by various minority groups. While Asian Americans, through this myth, are framed positively, the classification as the model minority also contributes to the reduction of Asian American people’s lived experiences to fit into the narrative of the myth and adds social and internal pressures to fulfill the associated expectations. In order to reverse the adverse impacts of this generalization, we must work to actively challenge the stereotypes we consciously and unconsciously make.
Resources/further readings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRhkZ5EZnJo
http://www.bu.edu/articles/2015/model-minority-pressures-take-mental-health-toll/
https://www.mhanational.org/issues/asian-americanpacific-islander-communities-and-mental-health
References
Shih, K.Y., Chang, T.‐F. and Chen, S.‐Y. (2019), Impacts of the Model Minority Myth on Asian American Individuals and Families: Social Justice and Critical Race Feminist Perspectives. J Fam Theory Rev, 11: 412-428. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12342
“Why Do We Create Stereotypes?” NPR, NPR, 14 Nov. 2014, www.npr.org/transcripts/362373052.
Kochhar, Rakesh, and Anthony Cilluffo. “Income Inequality in the U.S. Is Rising Most Rapidly Among Asians.” Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project, Pew Research Center, 21 Aug. 2020, www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/07/12/income-inequality-in-the-u-s-is-rising-most-rapidly-among-asians/.
“Mental Health Among Asian-Americans.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/ethnicity-health/asian-american/article-mental-health.
Lee, Sunmin et al. “Model minority at risk: expressed needs of mental health by Asian American young adults.” Journal of community health vol. 34,2 (2009): 144-52. doi:10.1007/s10900-008-9137-1
