I am referring to the (supposed) social stereotyping of the Asian-American (AA) community as the “Model Minority”, i.e., hard-working, assimilating and “quiet”. I am wondering if such a thing exists, and to what extent it exists and has harmful repercussions. The gist I obtained from sample articles on the web, which label it a harmful myth, were:
(1) This was perpetuated by the white (conservative?) establishment as a way to prove their case, especially to the black community, that American society was indeed a level playing field. (Affirmative action)
(2) Either by design or by accident, this stereotyping is harmful as it is a strong factor in driving AAs to the Sciences keeping them away from areas from where they could potentially derive power, i.e., politics, journalism and liberal arts.
(3) Related to (2), the constant reference to AAs as “quiet people” (IIRC, GW Bush did this too) further alienates AAs from politics and having their voices heard.
(4) Most importantly, there exists a “glass ceiling”. Despite being educationally successful and making it in middle-upper-middle class, AAs cannot progress beyond a point. The stereotype helps cover up this phenomenon.
Well, I am not sure if there’s been any rigorous academic study of this. Some of the articles IMO sounded extreme even suggesting a conspiracy of sorts by the white establishment, while the other extreme viewpoint is that we are witnessing just natural social growth within a community, and in a few generations, AAs will be in politics and media.
Any thoughts?