The model minority myth. We as Asian Americans know it well. Some hate it, some actually embrace it. But ultimately, it hurts us a whole. And in the case of Asian American and Pacific Islander college students, the overarching, homogeneous model minority myth obscures important differences and needs within our diverse population—educational needs that often go neglected.
A new report released yesterday, by NYU, the College Board and a commission of Asian American educators and community leaders, basically attacks the model minority myth and pokes holes in all sorts of dangerous assumptions the myth perpetuates about APA college students: Report Takes Aim at 'Model Minority' Stereotype of Asian-American Students.
According to the report, the concentration of Asian American students in a relatively small number of elite universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA, has raised fears of a "takeover" of the upper tiers of higher education in the U.S. In reality, more than half of Asian American students attend community colleges or minimally selective four-year colleges. Asian Americans' academic success misleading, report says.
It's true—many Asian Americans do excel in higher education. As of 2000, 44.1% of Asian Americans had obtained college degrees. The average in the United States is 24.4%. But many APA groups in the U.S. fell far short of those achievement levels. For example, almost 60% of Hmong that same year had less than a high school education, and only 15% of Native Hawaiians had college degrees. Lumping us all into one group and assuming we have no needs is extremely problematic... and just plain wrong.
A lot of what this report covers is stuff many of us were already aware of. But it's a still an important, helpful effort to directly attack these common myths and bring awareness about these misrepresentations to the educational community and general public at large. It's amazing how strongly the model minority myth continues to persist.
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