Essay On Minority Stereotypes

“Men have to be strong.” “Asians are smart.” “Girls can’t play sports!” At a young age, stereotypes are ingrained in our brains. Stereotypes are prevalent in the media and it’s difficult to name a single book, movie, or game that is free of any stereotypes. In this dynamic day in age, where people are bombarded with media every day, stereotyping is inevitable—whether it’s conscious or not. Amongst all these negative stereotypes, are there positive stereotypes too? The model minority myth is the idea that people that belong to a certain minority—usually people of Asian descent—are superior because they are said to be more economically successful and academically inclined. For years, people have debated over the nature of this stereotype. Some

___add solution___ The idea that the success of Asian people is based solely on their ethnicity is a harmful stereotype that is detrimental to the growth of our society.
When society unanimously believes that one ethnic group reigns supreme, nobody questions how other minorities are affected. Minorities are divided—too often, we face each other on the battlefield instead of standing in solidarity. “If the Asians can do it, then why can’t you?” The model minority myth is a common argument used to justify dismissive or derogatory comments made towards other minorities. Dark-skinned people, in particular, are on the receiving end of those remarks. In the journal article titled "At Least You're Not Black": Asian Americans in U.S. Race Relations, the author recounts her experience growing up as an Asian American during the pre-civil rights era. As a bright, ivy league educated Asian woman, she seems to fit into the model minority stereotype. Yet instead of commenting on her intelligence, she was told: “You should be grateful that you are not black.” (Kim, par. 5). The model minority myth is not a recent development—Humans have been historically known for pitting races against each other. Thousands of Chinese immigrants