What the Model Minority Myth Means to BLM
Photo by Instyle
When we think about silence, we often associate it with white compliance to a system that upholds systemic racism, especially toward the Black community. However, we must also examine the nuance in which other people of color undermine the Black Lives Matter movement.
As an East Asian, I found myself surrounded by family who engendered a “work hard, no complaints” attitude toward academics. I didn’t challenge it because it seemed like an output of their history as immigrants. They believed in the idea of the American Dream: the American values of freedom aided by hard work will only help you achieve wealth and social mobility. “Complaining” would only be a detriment as it supposedly took away from what made America so “great”: its inherent rights rooted in our Declaration of Independence and US Constitution. My parents thought that going against these rights would harm my success in a predominantly white society, especially when they themselves earned a livable amount of prosperity compared to their humble beginnings in a foreign country. Why change things when it has always worked for them?
Yet, as my family carried this attitude toward the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, I began to recognize how this “work hard” mindset was more harmful than it seemed. In light of the blaring news headlines of BLM protests, I was shocked by their responses that these protesters were “complaining.” When I asked them if the Black community should not be outraged at the injustices they faced, various family members quickly acknowledged that yes, there was obvious racism in American society – but why should they protest or “complain” if they could just simply work harder and fight in spite of their struggles?
Saying I was shocked was an understatement. Yet, I didn’t know how to respond. Why exactly did it “work” for so many East Asians and not Black Americans?
The answer, I realized after hours of research, was because of the Model Minority Myth.
This myth stems from the notion that significant numbers of a minority group, most notably East Asians, can achieve socio-economic success. It almost seemed like a spinoff of the American Dream – and my own family fits perfectly. We are cookie-cutter model minority citizens; my mother worked as a waitress for years while juggling school and taking care of her family, while my father also worked minimum wage jobs to fund his education alone in America without any relatives for support. In the years that followed, my siblings and I studied and excelled at school, getting accepted to highly-ranked institutions in the name of “hard work.”
But this myth inherently pits minorities against minorities. It perpetuates the stereotype that Asians, especially East Asians are law-abiding, silent, and uncomplaining while other minorities – namely, the Black community – have not achieved the same level of success because of high rates of crime and “misbehaving.” Unfortunately, this means that the myth propagates monolithic experiences for minorities, pitting groups against each other while failing to consider a more nuanced approach as to why our society looks the way it does today.
Systemic racism is a key factor into how the model minority myth has taken shape. Of course, Asians have experienced racism throughout history, especially in America. In fact, predominantly Chinese laborers were exploited in the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 1800s. We are even seeing an increase of anti-Asian sentiment currently because of the coronavirus, ranging from micro-aggressions like the usage of the terms “kung flu” or “Chinese virus” to physical violence against Asian Americans. Yet, it is inherently unfair to compare Asian experiences of racism to Black experiences, and it contributes to both groups crumbling while white systems of oppression continue to dominate.
People I knew questioned why Black Americans were “complaining” so much. “Of course, racism exists,” they’d say," but it always will. If they just stopped complaining and actually worked harder, maybe they’d get somewhere.”
Frankly, besides the outright racism in that statement, the model minority myth is what contributes to those ideas and is rooted in the systemic oppression against Blacks. The legacy of slavery, including the era of Jim Crow and then mass incarceration, alongside frequent and often subconscious prejudice, still weighs heavily on Black Americans. The gentrification of neighborhoods and poor access to and availability of education contributes to poorer communities, which automatically have higher rates of crime than other neighborhoods. This cycle of poverty makes the model minority myth so much harder to break and in fact perpetuates it.
Why should silence be associated with compliance and “being good” or “working hard”? Silence is palatable to white structures of racism, which may explain why Asian success is more common and has shaped the model minority myth. Yet, we should not condemn protests for pointing out racism in everyday society. Just because protests are uncomfortable for white structures of racism does not mean they should be condemned or silenced. Instead, we should elevate their voices, especially Black voices, to finally break out of this myth and, most importantly, work toward a less racist society. And to do this, Asians must speak out against racial injustice, even when it is not directed toward them.
For more information and ways to help Black Lives Matter check out https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/