Essay On Model Minority Stereotypes

There have been many racial controversial issues concerning Asian Americans in the media such as the “model minority” stereotype. I am here to argue that the American entertainment media does reinforce the model minority stereotype of Asian Americans. Well, what is the model minority stereotype? This stereotype normally applies to Asian Americans and depict them to be more economically, academically, and socially successful compared to other races. It depicts Asians to be very intelligent, hard working, and high achieving. Although it may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial in terms of today’s concern over racism and discrimination. According to a recent study, Asian Americans account for 5% of the US population but they only account for 2.5% of actors
These are just few of the many Asian characters who reinforce the model minority label with their professions. With the stereotype being a constant in everyday media, it creates false perceptions of Asian Americans towards the public. These perceptions become internalized especially in Asian youth. They are burdened with the expectation to get straight A’s or strive for a high earning profession. But what happens when they don’t fall into the stereotype? It could affect their mental health by starting to feel insecure or inadequate. A study conducted by a team from The University of Maryland School of Public Health showed that the “pressure to live up to the model minority stereotype” was a source of stress that affected their mental health.

That said, the media needs to end the reinforcement of the model minority label. We need to stop creating Asian characters with racist stereotypes and to represent them as normal people. They are after all, no lesser than other races and are more than just “straight A’s” or “nerds.” We need to embrace Asians for who they are, whether they are intelligent or not; just like how we embrace everyone