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Common Stereotypes
As an Asian American, I have seen and experienced the effects of stereotypes being placed on Asian Americans. There are two main stereotypes for Asian Americans: The yellow peril and the model minority. Both stereotypes make it difficult for Asian Americans to find their own path in society. Instead, they feel the pressure to meet the expectations of others. I often see Asian Americans as the "smart" characters in films and TV shows. However, off-screen, it is difficult for Asian Americans to get main roles simply because of their race. It's simply not what the casting director is looking for.
Common Stereotypes: Intro
The Yellow Peril Stereotype
Common Stereotypes: Welcome
The yellow peril stereotype was constructed back in medieval times during the Ghengis Khan and Mongolian invasion of Europe. Then in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the west feared Asians as a threat to the White race. The large population size of East Asia, China’s potential military and economic power, and Japan’s rise as an imperial power further encouraged the yellow peril stereotype (Hu and Pham, 2017).
Dr. Yuko Kawai, a professor of Intercultural Communications at Rikkyo University, said the yellow peril stereotype “referred to cultural threat as well as economic, political, and military threats to the white race” (112). During this time, Asian Americans, also known as “Orientals,” were viewed as foreigners who would not assimilate to American culture. The White race feared that Asian immigrants would take over the nation and create social and economic chaos. As a result, anyone of Asian descent was excluded.
In the mid-1900s, white filmmakers found that building fictional characters of an extreme was the simplest way to generalize Asian people. Films and the mass media help mold the Western audience’s worldview by creating these extreme fictional characters. Asian women characters in Hollywood movies are often depicted as either the threatening “Dragon Lady” or the submissive “China Doll” (Wang 87). Another common image is exhibiting Asian women as normal on the outside but exotic and sexy on the inside. The portrayal of Asians in movies has been insensitive and damaging. The constant stereotyping of both people and culture is “just the skin of a long American tradition of suppression and domination” (Cho et al., 1999). The fear that Asian Americans would take over America and cause chaos in society was so strong that white filmmakers felt the need to create extreme images to generate a negative opinion about the entire race.
Common Stereotypes: Body
The Model Minority
Common Stereotypes: Welcome
The model minority stereotype is a more common stereotype that we see today. Have you ever noticed that Asian Americans are always depicted as the “smart” one or the “successful” character who lacks personality? It is believed that the model minority stereotype was formed in the 1960s. It was revived in the 1980s because the United States had trade conflicts with Asian countries, especially Japan. This resulted in the Reagan administration modifying affirmative action and welfare programs in a way that would negatively affect Asians.
The model minority stereotype is a myth defined as “quiet, uncomplaining, and hardworking Asians” (Nicholas 14). Asian Americans are often seen as cold, disciplined, and determined. This stereotype may seem positive; however, it is quite the opposite. Some argue that the model minority stereotype may elicit racist and violent actions towards Asian Americans. (Kawai, 67). Kawai also argues that the model minority is “a complementary, benign image” of the yellow peril. Although the model minority stereotype seems positive, and the yellow peril stereotype seems negative, they actually “form a seamless continuum” (Kawai, 139).
By the 1970s, the model minority stereotype created encouraged a colorblind ideology. The logic was that not seeing race means that race does not matter. This colorblindness is still an issue today for all minorities in America. Using the colorblind ideology provides the excuse that Asian Americans' "success" refutes the existence of institutional racism. It tries to justify that American society is fair and allows racial minority groups to have the same opportunities as upper-class White people (Kawai, 114).
Some people may plead that they don’t see race and that everyone is equal. However, I believe that colorblindness actually means that they will not recognize their culture and heritage. Asian Americans are considered to be “honorary Whites,” which means they are considered non-minority because of the model minority stereotype. Being an honorary White will make it more difficult for Asian Americans to get scholarships or opportunities that other minorities may receive. It creates the idea that Whites are still superior to Asian Americans, but they are still better than African Americans.
Common Stereotypes: Body
This TEDx Talk is an example of how Asian Americans are struggling with these stereotypes. Canwen Xu talks about her experience as an Asian American struggling to find her identity. The model minority stereotype was placed upon Xu, and she felt out of place. She felt like she couldn't fit in with her white classmates. Thus, she started to change herself to be the very opposite of the model minority stereotype. Xu tried to assimilate into the white American culture and began to lose bits and pieces of her culture. In the end, she realized that she is both Asian and American and that she needed to embrace who she was even if she wouldn't quite fit in with the majority.
I found this TEDx Talk relatable because I have also struggled with the model minority stereotype. Being born in Hawaii, I was fortunate enough to have grown up with many other Asian Americans. Asians are not a minority ethnic group in Hawaii. When I moved to San Francisco for college, I did not realize what it was like to be a minority. It was a culture shock to see what was normal behavior in the continental U.S. I didn't particularly appreciate being placed into a category where I was the minority. I felt like I either had to act a certain way to be fully Asian or fully American to fit in with any school group. I quickly began to realize that I didn't have to change myself to fit in. Instead, I would learn more about the continental U.S. culture, and I would share my own Asian American culture and Aloha spirit with others.
Common Stereotypes: Video
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