Cana Hauerland

Research Posting I

Whose Model Minority?

            I became interested in the Asian American Immigrant portrayal as the "model minority" after reading the article, "Report Takes Aim at 'Model Minority' Stereotype of Asian American Students". This article reveals that Asian American Immigrants are usually viewed as being highly educated and successful, but it also makes readers aware of underlying facts revealing that "there are just as many struggling at the bottom of the curve" (Tamar 1). After reading this, I realized that I habitually viewed Asian American Immigrants as smart, driven, and destined to succeed; therefore, I developed the following questions:

1. Why do I perceive the entire Asian American Immigrant group as succeeding?

2. Does every Asian American Immigrant really succeed?

3. How was the identification of the Asian American Immigrant group misunderstood?

4. If the article, "Report Takes Aim at 'Model Minority' Stereotype of Asian American Students", is true, then why aren’t the underlying factors more frequently revealed?

I decided to answer my questions by further researching the Asian American Immigrant as the "model minority", and by examining several different Asian American immigrants.

            First, the "model minority" most be clearly identified in order for one to grasp a clear understanding of the Asian American Immigrant label. Objective two reveals "minority" as a term "used loosely in popular speech and government", which illustrates the first problem with the assumption that the entire Asian American Immigrant population excels because their label appears to be "loose". The "Model Minority" label, which Asian American Immigrants are given, is defined as a group that has assimilated into the “melting pot,” thus adapting the true American lifestyle. In the process of adopting this lifestyle, Asian American Immigrants may become loosely connected to their “old world” culture through "intermarriage, use of common language, and shared institutions, opportunity, or ideology," which doesn’t prove to be true in my findings below. 

            A true "model minority", or Asian American Immigrant, is the talented and successful, Dr. Harry Wong. Dr. Wong is a Doctor of Education and has been teaching grade school for over thirty years. In addition to teaching, he has written several books that suggest effective teaching tips, such as The First Days of School. He begins this book with a dedication to his parents who "wanted [him] to be a brain surgeon", but Harry believes he "exceeded their expectations" by "becoming a scholar" (Wong iii). By travelling all over the United States to speak on teaching techniques, Dr. Wong is well known and sought after in the education world, and accompanying him along the way is his Italian wife, Rosemary Wong. Harry speaks of teaching fondly and enjoys it a great deal. Claiming his excellence at his profession, Harry states that because he teaches effectively, "[he] can leave the classroom at 3:30 each afternoon to enjoy the small things, like teaching his Italian wife to cook Chinese" (Wong 199). Dr. Wong portrays the "model minority" while still maintaining a cultural distinction with his name, look, and food. 

In contrast to Harry Wong, a teacher at North Shore Middle School, Takara Badrock, offers information on her Asian American Immigrant mother from Korea. Takara's mother came here during her early twenties and does not reveal much about her past culture. As a manager for her Korean friend, Takara states that her "mother is not successful, but the Korean friend of her mother is". The Korean friend of Takara's mother owns a sandwich shop at a college, demonstrating a classic Asian American Immigrant trait as Takara states, "Asian Americans like to start their own little businesses and are usually self motivated." Takara's mother fell through the cracks of this trait on account of assimilating to her African American father:

"I believe my mother is not motivated because she married my father instead of another Asian American Immigrant. Usually, an Asian American marriage is a partnership dedicated to success, but not with my African American father. He            attempted small businesses, but never succeeded on account of the partnership vacancy".

Though Takara portrays her mother to have lost the Asian American drive to succeed, she maintains her mother's connection to her cultural background by revealing her lack of communication with her middle daughter, Takara, because "in the Korean culture, the first daughter gets most of the respect". Takara’s mother defines the difficulty in describing all Asian American Immigrants as being the talented “model minority”.  

After studying Dr. Wong and Takara's mother, I found an additional article, "Yellow and Brown: Emerging Asian American Immigrant Populations and Residential Segregation", that discusses the importance of re-examining the Asian American Immigrant classification to clarify that "the context of language, culture, immigration status, and socio economic situations vary for different subpopulations" (Teranishi 1). Teranishi describes Asian American Immigrants as being only labeled as "model minorities," but in reality are very different in ethnicities. The true needs of Asian American Immigrants are masked by the racial construct of Asian Americans as a "successful minority" (Teranishi 1). While he uncovers the misinterpretation of the Asian American Immigrant identity, Teranishi consistently expresses how the Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas Law (1954) ceases to help Asian American Immigrants based on their mistaken identities. Furthermore, he articulates a need for a change in identification for these immigrants by revealing that Asian American Immigrants are arguably "the least homogenous of all racial groups and [as possessing] an usually wide range of social characteristics" (Teranishi 2-3). Teranishi reveals the answer to the differences between Harry Wong and Takara’s mother who are both labeled as Asian American Immigrants.

            After this study was completed, I realized that Asian American Immigrants are perceived to be equally intelligent because the minority group is extremely too broad. It is true that some Asian American Immigrants are “whiz kids”, such as Harry Wong; however, not all are proven to be as the case of Takara’s mother. Not every Asian American Immigrant succeeds, which promotes the desperate need for this “model minority” group’s re-evaluation. If the reconstruction of this immigrant group is not attempted, then unsuccessful, underprivileged, or regular Asian American Immigrants may never become recognized; consequently, resulting in a hidden identity of the true Asian American Immigrant group.

            If Asian American Immigrants, the “model minority”, aren’t re-classified, I suggest that Asian American Immigrants be re-labeled as the “modern minority”. Most Asian Americans immigrate to America and find their way to success or to a comfortable lifestyle; however, the entire Asian American Immigrant population does not achieve professions such as doctors, lawyers, educators, or other “highly qualified” positions. For example, Takara’s mom and Dr. Harry Wong are cases of one unsuccessful Asian American Immigrant, and one successful Asian American Immigrant. Each assimilated and lost some culture although Takara's mom upheld her culture through the treatment of her daughter, Harry Wong completed the same through food, and both did through the color code regardless of choice. These Asian American Immigrants are different culturally and professionally as the two articles suggests, but their assimilation to the “new world” and segregation to the “old world” unite them as “modern minorities”, minorities who deal the hand dealt while still assimilating according to their situations, yet upholding their cultural identities.

            To further study this topic, I’d focus on the creation of the Asian American Immigrant minority group.

Works Cited

            Wong, Harry. First Days of School. Harry Wong Publications Inc. Mountain View:                                    2005.

            Teranishi, Robert. “Yellow and Brown: Emerging Asian American Immigrant Populations and Residential Segregation”. Equity & Excellence in Education. 37 (2004): 255-263.

             Lewin, Tamar. “Report Takes Aim at ‘Model Minority’ Stereotype of Asian American Students”. New York Times 10 June 2008.

            Badrock, Takara. Telephone Interview. 10 June 2008.