Generalizations and racializations. The model minority stereotype has instilled archetypal stereotypes of the Asian American community for decades, and such stereotypes have deemed Asian Americans as a group of homogeneous people. Such stereotypes have harmed the Asian American community, as they affect multiple aspects of their lives. This article will be diving into the magnitude of generalizations presented by the model minority stereotype to truly understand the effects of such generalizations on the Asian American community.

Generalization of Success

Despite the Asian American community being a diverse group of people, including East Asians, Southeast Asians, and Indians, people are often quick to assume that all Asian Americans are successful, ignoring hardships experienced. While it is true that many Asian Americans are successful and economically well off, it should be noted that not ALL Asian Americans are as economically and educationally well off. According to “Asian-American success and the pitfalls of generalization” by Nathan Joo, Richard V. Reeves, and Edward Rodrigue, writers for Brookings University, “according to the ‘model minority’ theory of the case, economic hardship ought not to matter so much. Culture and values are supposed to overwhelm economic conditions.” Essentially, despite not all Asian Americans being visibly successful, the model minority stereotype deems that the values of ALL Asian Americans are homogeneous, therefore assuming they are all successful. 

Generalizations of Parental Figures:

In addition to making baseless assumptions about the success of the Asian American community  in the United States, the model minority stereotype also exaggerates the parental styles of Asian Americans by propagating the characterization of Asian American/Asian parents as “tiger parents.” This generalization posed by the model minority stereotype is indeed false. Despite some instances of “tiger parenting” styles being present within the Asian American community with strict parents who refuse to let their children hang out with friends or do anything seemingly “fun” in fear of distractions from academics, one should consider that many Asian American parents do not follow such “tiger parenting” styles. The model minority stereotype has led many people to believe Asian American success comes via “tiger parenting.” However, according to “Are all Asian-heritage parents “Tiger Parents”?” by Linda P. Juang, a professor of Inclusive Education and writer for the American Psychological Association, “tiger parenting is not linked to the best child outcomes —both academically and socio-emotionally…and findings suggest that Asian-heritage parents are also warm, supportive, and loving toward their children, which has not been emphasized.” 

Generalization of Majors and Jobs

With the implication of success, Asian Americans are often expected to become doctors, engineers, or computer scientists to fit the model minority stereotype. According to the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center, many Asian Americans have experienced being told “that [they] must be great at math and/or science or ask whether [they] are going to go to med school…and professors and classmates assume that [they] study all the time and that [they] are doing just fine without additional help.” This assumption that Asian Americans must go into high-paying STEM jobs severely affects opportunities for Asian Americans as “[they often] feel inadequate about not living up to the image of (academic) excellence that others seem to expect of [them].”

With the implication of success, Asian Americans are often expected to become doctors, engineers, or computer scientists to fit the model minority stereotype. According to the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center, many Asian Americans have experienced being told “that [they] must be great at math and/or science or ask whether [they] are going to go to med school…and professors and classmates assume that [they] study all the time and that [they] are doing just fine without additional help.” This assumption that Asian Americans must go into high-paying STEM jobs severely affects opportunities for Asian Americans as “[they often] feel inadequate about not living up to the image of (academic) excellence that others seem to expect of [them].”

Works Cited

“Are All Asian-Heritage Parents ‘Tiger Parents’?” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/communique/2013/05/tiger-parents. 

Joo, Nathan, et al. “Asian-American Success and the Pitfalls of Generalization.” Brookings, Brookings, 9 Mar. 2022, https://www.brookings.edu/research/asian-american-success-and-the-pitfalls-of-generalization/. 

“Model Minority Stereotype for Asian Americans.” Model Minority Stereotype, https://cmhc.utexas.edu/modelminority.html. 

Wang, Scarlett. “THE ‘TIGER MOM’: STEREOTYPES OF CHINESE PARENTING IN THE UNITED STATES.” Applied Psychology OPUS, New York University, https://wp.nyu.edu/steinhardt-appsych_opus/the-tiger-mom-stereotypes-of-chinese-parenting-in-the-united-states/.