6 Charts That Dismantle the Trope of Asian Americans As a Model Minority

[SummerMadness]

6 Charts That Dismantle the Trope of Asian Americans As a Model Minority

"Smart." "Hard-working." "Nice." Those were among the adjectives respondents offered up in a recent poll when asked to describe Asian Americans.

The poll, conducted by the nonprofit Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH), was another all-too-familiar reminder that Asian Americans are still perceived as the "model minority."

Since the end of World War II, this myth about Asian Americans and their perceived collective success has been used as a racial wedge – to minimize the role racism plays in the struggles of other minority groups, such as Black Americans.

Characterizing Asian Americans as a "model minority" flattens the diverse experiences of the Asian American into a singular, narrow narrative. And it paints a misleading picture about the community that doesn't align with current statistics.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Overall I think the article is good, however I'm not sure that a couple of the charts support the argument.

The income chart would seem to indicate that many of the largest Asian populations do earn more than the median hosuehold income (which I believe is about $73k) and do have a much larger proportion of adults with a degree (avg for US 32% or so).

Whereas the discrimination (especially during COVID and Trump) and lack of people in leadership positions seems spot on in my experience. It's rare to see an Asian person in a C-suite position unless the company is Asian-owned.