In his informative article on the forms of stereotypes, Theodore Dalrymple postulates that “the man who walks out of his house with a mind devoid of stereotypes is like the man who goes to the Antarctic without having inquired about the weather’ (par. 1). The bold statement implies that a stereotype is a preconceived opinion or idea about something or someone which an individual harbors or uses, either intentionally or otherwise, to determine actions and/or interactions. Human interactions based on preformed opinions can be limiting, even detrimental at times; therefore, it is sensible to clear the mind of stereotypes. But how well is the human mind doing in avoiding stereotypes?
Well, not that good: “for to even know that the Antarctic exists is to know that it tends to be cold there. No doubt, the human mind, and experience are filled with various stereotypes, and people cannot just “negotiate the world without them”. Such familiarity with stereotypes makes it quite challenging to determine their underlying effects on the lives of people. What is certain, though, is the fact that all stereotypes (whether perceived as good or bad) have a modifying effect on the behavioral outcomes of the target individuals or groups, and whether that modification is desirable or not depends on individual interpretation of the stereotype amongst members of the target group as well as the community around them.
Take, for instance, the “Model Minority” stereotype that characterizes the Asian-American population as a group of industrious and diligent people, whose hard work often leads to notable academic and career success. Bernadette Lim, a former senior advisor of the Asian-American Women’s Association at Harvard, believes that, although “model minority” is a label that “sounds so promising in tone,’ and gives a general impression that an Asian-American population is a flawless group, the stereotype covers significant discrimination against Asian-Americans. Let us consider the aspect of academic achievement and excellence. Undoubtedly, there are thousands, possibly millions, of Asian-American students for whom this myth holds true. These students work hard and are overachieving in class, thereby living up to the expectations and standards set by the stereotype. Given the diversity in race and socioeconomic background amongst people who are categorized as Asian-Americans, however, this stereotype fails to acknowledge the basic fact that not all Asian-Americans are thus privileged.
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Lim backs her argument with some eye-opening statistics: ‘nearly 40 percent of Hmong Americans, 38 percent of Laotian Americans, and 35 percent of Cambodian Americans do not finish high school’ (par. 3). Moreover, the groups mentioned above, together with Asian-Americans from Vietnam, ‘earn below the national average” (par.3). The statistics show that it is untrue to assume that all Asian-Americans are industrious and enjoy notable success in their academic and career paths. Whereas there are some who fit the “model minority” definition, others are struggling, and in dire need the support of the community. The support may not be readily available due to the general notion of flawlessness that is created by the stereotype. With the community expecting nothing short of brilliance from Asian-Americans students based on the assumed knowledge from the ‘model minority,’ very few individuals will recall that every human being is endowed differently.
Therefore, those students who find themselves on the ‘wrong’ side of this stereotype are likely to suffer in silence, a situation that is probably one of the causes of the recent upsurge in mental illnesses among Asian-Americans (Lim, par.2). Such was the situation of Shannen Kim, a struggling student at Harvard. In an Interview with Chris Fuchs, a popular journalist in New York, Kim reveals that “one is supposed to be performing well, so you don’t need help. So then, when I needed help, I felt like I couldn’t go and ask” (par. 5). There is no gainsaying to the possible impacts of struggling when you are expected to perform. Students like Kim are predisposed to stress, anxiety, and depression, the major symptoms of mental illness.
It should also be noted that most Asian-Americans who came to the United States had one thing in mind, ‘to escape communism, authoritarianism, war, and poverty while others simply sought out greater opportunities.'(Balingit, Par, 5) However, most-Asian Americans trace their origins back to highly educated families, thus cannot relate to the struggles of the less fortunate. They are exposed to the best social amenities as ‘they live in areas with state-level schools where performance rates far more similar to whites…’ As such, the community has found itself profiling Asian-Americans into the group of well-to-do individuals with all the resources at their disposal. The effect of this is that for the Asian-Americans who do not have this privilege, gaining educational grants and support of any manner has proven to be an uphill task.
According to Balingit (2019), it is evident that colleges like Harvard have fallen victim to this, especially during the admission process. The institution takes into account race while whittling down the thousands of applicants with the aim of attaining racial diversity in the school. The institution’s management stereotypically believed that Asian-Americans are of a higher standard as compared to other races. However, the effect of this has been that fewer Asian-American students were admitted to the school and granted financial aid. In as much as the institution has had several instances where it defended itself on this matter, the results of the choices made have been felt for decades.
In the professional world, individuals have not put any effort into downplaying the model minority stereotype. The Asian-Americans’ as compared to other races in the country, tend to occupy better jobs and managerial positions. The fact that they can trace their foundation from better homes and high education standards contributes to this success. In the United States of America, this group has often faced discrimination as a result of the success of its individuals. However, it is very difficult to hear any complaints as “biases against Asian-Americans often go unnoticed unless or until high –profile events occur…” (Wingfield, Par.6).Additionally, some individuals believe that most Asia-American men are industrious but lack social skills. The effect of this is that, in the long run, these men who, in most cases, are the best fit for managerial positions due to their expertise, industry, and academic excellence, often fail to secure these positions. The community always seeks individuals who are a bit more aggressive, social, and forthright, thus locking out on Asian-Americans.
Bringing the issue closer home, the professional status of most Asian-Americans has been significantly influenced by the general idea and belief of the kind of jobs their children ought to do. For most families that belong to the Asian-American community, the younger generation has been raised to believe that both educational and professional success is the way to go. Professions such as being a doctor, an engineer, or a Lawyer, among other highly ranked jobs, are common with individuals from this community. But wait a moment. Is this assumption true or just another variant of the model minority stereotype?
According to a survey led by Jennifer Lee, a professor of sociology at the University of California, “most US-born Chinese adults do not work as doctors, lawyers, pharmacists or engineers; of those interviewed, less than 20% even hold a professional job” (par. 10). Lee states that most of us are likely to accept the misinformation because “there are enough visible examples in the public domain that confirm the stereotype of the successful Asian-American doctor, lawyer, or engineer” (par. 10). However, there is enough evidence to confirm otherwise. Again this assumed knowledge is quite dangerous as it may lead society to overlook the struggles of Asian-Americans under the assumption that they are successful.
To conclude, stereotypes, both positive and negative, as held by many, have a lasting effect on the target population. In most cases, the interpretation of these stereotypes by individuals varies with the amount of knowledge one has on such communities. As such, the model minority as stereotypically held for the past half-century, having profiled the Asian American community as being hardworking and high performing individuals, has had lasting effects on these individuals. The fact that Asian American students have a hard time adjusting in schools, mainly when they do not perform as well as the perceived idea, is one of the leading causes of mental illness.
Additionally, educational institutions have mastered the art of profiling students according to race during admissions; thus, the impact of this has been felt by Asian American students who, in most cases, miss opportunities in the institutions of choice. Most significantly, the working environment has also suffered the impact of these stereotypes, with more Asian American individuals facing competition for the well-deserved high positions due to racial profiling.
References
- Balingit, Moriah. “The Forgotten Minorities of Higher Education: What affirmative action means for low-income Asians”. The Washington Post, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/magazine/wp/2019/03/18/feature/does-affirmative-action-help-or-hurt-asians-who-dont-fit-the-model-minority-stereotype/
- Dalrymple, Theodore. ‘Types Of Stereotypes | National Review’. Nationalreview.Com, 2020, https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2013/08/19/types-stereotypes/.
- Fuchs, Chris. ‘Behind The ‘Model Minority’ Myth: Why The ‘Studious Asian’ Stereotype Hurts’. NBC News, 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/behind-model-minority-myth-why-studious-asian-stereotype-hurts-n792926.
- Lee, Jennifer. ‘We Need More Asian American Kids Growing Up To Be Artists, Not Doctors’. The Guardian, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/16/asian-american-jobs-success-myth-arts.
- Lim, Bernadette. ‘Model Minority’ Seems Like A Compliment, But It Does Great Harm – Nytimes.Com’. Nytimes.Com, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/10/16/the-effects-of-seeing-asian-americans-as-a-model-minority/model-minority-seems-like-a-compliment-but-it-does-great-harm.
- Wingfield, Adia. ‘The Professional Burdens Of Being A ‘Model Minority’’. The Atlantic, 2020, https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/professional-burdens-model-minority-asian-americans/485492/.
