• Math capabilities/very smart
• Timid/softspoken
• Sexually submissive
Her three examples touch upon some of the biggest stereotypes Asian Americans face. Is it true that many students of Asian descent test well academically, especially in the maths/science department? Sometimes, but it’s not because we are inherently smarter. Do Asian Americans tend to “fly under the radar” on various issues? Not necessarily. Are Asian Americans sexually submissive? Probably not any more collectively so than any other race – but that’s how we are portrayed in mainstream media.
Some Asian Americans embrace the many positive stereotypes, perhaps believing that being recognized is better than being ignored. “I never got much teasing in school for being Asian,” a young professional said, “I guess because I am more outgoing than most kids and assimilated really easily. I don’t really think Asian Americans have been persecuted much in America, at least not as much as other minorities. Negative stereotypes are a small price to pay.”
When the topic of Asian American stereotypes came up in a class on Vietnamese American history last week, my [predominantly Asian] classmates had a lot to say. “Once when a girl called me an Oriental, I told her I found that really offensive because it made me sound like an object, not a person,” one girl explained.
“I don’t necessarily see the model minority stereotype as a bad thing,” another girl said, “because I think it’s good that Americans see us as smart or determined.”
Their differing responses are a perfect example of why stereotypes cannot fully categorize the diverse differences within any community. If a group of people who share an ethnic identity cannot agree on how they want to be portrayed, then how can one stereotype possibly encompass all of their differences?
The phrase “model minority” was coined around the time of the Immigration Act of 1965. The concept was used to describe Asian Americans in direct comparison to other minorities, citing the perceived “Asian” qualities of upholding community, economic success and academic achievement. But the term isn’t really a tribute to Asian American success; instead, the stereotype dealt a blow to all minorities, Asians included. Being the “model minority” implies a certain unrealistic standard for Asian Americans to live up to. “By misrepresenting Asian American success as proof that America provides equal opportunities for those who conform and work hard, [the model minority myth] excuses American society from careful scrutiny on issues of race in general, and on the persistence of racism against Asian Americans in particular,” says ModelMinority.com, a site “for Asian American empowerment.”
Speaking out is an effective way to counter stereotypes at a personal level. Most people who sincerely believe in stereotypes do so out of ignorance, not malice. “The girl who called me an Oriental said she didn’t know many Asians, and she was glad I explained the difference because she didn’t mean to offend me,” my classmate said.
17 comments:
Read this post very quickly but am a little perplexed at Asians being looked at as "sexually submissive?"
What the heck does that mean? Does that mean that Asians like being dominated? LOL...
Personally, I don't consider it offensive when anyone calls me "oriental". It's just another adjective, and I'm confused as to WHY or HOW it's made into an offensive word. My Americans classmates have asked me and were surprised to find out that I do not feel offended in being refer to as "oriental". Even if it is said in a tone that is meant to criticize or insult me, I don't feel offended because in doing so, I create a window of opportunity for those who want to insult Asians.
I think of the term "oriental" as being a "geographically specific" term because it narrows the region in Asia where a person is from. Okay, so you're Asian, but that could mean you're from the Middle East or Russia. By saying "oriental", you let people know that you're from EASTERN Asia, which really help bring to mind the eastern Asian characteristics.
I don't find believing in stereotypes as being "ignorant". EVERYONE believes in AT LEAST one stereotype (if you say you don't, then you would be lying). In a sense, you're saying human beings are an ignorant species because we all believe in one stereotype or another.
It's just like saying "it's perfect" but we all know perfection doesn't exist, so how did we come up with the concept or the term "perfection"? <-- I know that's a random and perhaps a completely orr topic analogy, but I hope you get my point.
All in all, I feel that your opinion piece is entertaining and provoking. Everyone's entitled to his/her own opinion. :D
I was in a focus group for a soon to be published novel called Bird and Fish by Adrienne Leslie. The main characters are a Korean man and American woman. A Chinese reader said 'finally, no Suzie Wong!' and everyone laughed when the character said "Rugs are Oriental, Koreans are Asian."
Wow, interesting and an eye opener. :)
UCD, CA
I found your thoughts to be very interesting. I never knew about the whole "model minority" thing. I must admit that when people bring up minority gourps, they seem to never mention Asian people in the converstation. As an outsider, someone not of Asian desent, I've heard some sterotypes that are quite different than the last two you mentioned.
I always hear women complain about how Asian women will get together in groups and talk about everyone who is not Asian wherever they happen to be. Normally it is ignorant people who just assume that everyone is talking about them and are mad about the fact that they cannot understand the conversation. Many people also sterotype Asian women as sometimes being hot headed and going into total fits of rage and anger over any and everything. People always make it seem that if an Asian woman is not a Geisha, she is anything but submissive or timid.
When it comes to sex, people always try to protray Asian women as being wild in bed; delivering a sexual expirence so great that a man almost couldn't handle the pleasure. While some men I know looked forward to trying to marry a "submissive Asian wife", many other men wanted to go to Asia for some hot Asian sex. It's alomst as if they believed that Asian women have sexual skills and power that women of other cultures don't have. More and more men are almost craving Asian women because of there "exotic look", "youthful appearence" and sexaul stamina.
The sad thing is that you can find these sterotypes fullfilled in any culture or any group of people. Some people are naturally submissive both in and out of their bedrooms. Many people who do good in scinece or math is becaues they are forced to do well in those catagories by parents who view there kids as their personal form of social security. If people would open their minds and hearts they would learn that people are people everywhere you go. I have a lot of Korean friends and if I were to describe them to people based on how they behave, many people would think I were talking about a group of Black people. It doesn't matter if we are black, brown or yellow, some things are just universal in all of our cultures. We have to stop looking at what we do differently and having that tear us apart and start looking at what we have in common and having that unite us. What makes us different makes us beautiful and for that, we will all be forever beautiful.
People who feel the term "Oriental" is offensive should take into effect that it was, and still is, the common term for anything or anyone originating from Asia. It's really meant no differently than "European", or "American". I am 66 years old, have been all over the world and have never heard anyone use the term in an offensive manner. There are many other terms which are truly offensive. Try to remember this when someone uses the term. If it offends you, I suppose you can say so, but you should understand offense was most likely never intended and you may be passing judgment on someone's attitude where no such attitude exists and also creating an uncalled for amount of embarrassment. That may lead to a more uncomfortable situation between you and the other person. Since they feel they unintentionally offended you, they might avoid you further to keep from making a similar offense.
I was in a focus group for a novel called Bird and Fish by Adrienne Leslie, A Chinese reader said, 'Finally no Suzie Wong characters!' and everyone cheered when the main character while having a cancer treatment told the ignorant nurse, "Rugs are oriental. Koreans are Asian."
"If a group of people who share an ethnic identity cannot agree on how they want to be portrayed, then how can one stereotype possibly encompass all of their differences?" (my new favorite quote) AWESOME!!!
i need to interview you for an asian american project i'm going to do :-D
i bet that one girl got chewed out for saying she didn't mind being a model minority....especially if sehjong was in your class
I want to say that when I was in school because of the expectations that Asians did well in Math and then I struggled in that subject- they ultimately thought that I was learning diabled when I couldn't meet those expectations. So for me this was a disadvantage even though I was very good in writing and social studies, and did fairly well in other subjects. I think that when we don't meet those expectations we are looked down on and maybe treated a little more harshly than if we were another race just b/c we couldn't live up to standards
I am a very shy person, but around my family I am very hyper. I wouldn't really say that we are shy, but we can be, especially cirtain tribes. We are smart because we study harder. Americans are pretty smart too.
Too little too late, why didn't you actually put all this stuff on your network instead of some obscure web blog. You could have put together something like teen summit even gotten an audience to come in but I guess it was more important to not offend non Asians ie whites.
I personally am not Asian. In the slightest bit, but I hate to hear these types of sterotypes. I have always thought of all people, as people. I hate to hear any type of sterotyping. Wheter it is that whites are lazy, or asian are smart or that latinos stink. I everyone should be looked at as a person, no matter the race they are born in.
SilentChelsea
I just started my blog last month and got a lot of reactions from my post about "living without chopsticks." I'm an Asian-American who was adopted and deal wtih stereotypes from all sides. Anyways, this site is cool. Feel free to check out my first post at www.jojoinparadise.blogspot.com
Thanks for all the comments, guys! Sorry I'm late in responding.
1) joon - I'm not entirely sure what Suzanne was referring to, but I think she might have the "Asian men have small dicks" stereotype in mind. Heh. It's college. ;p
2) Aquafina - I see where you're coming from. If you get a chance, see if you can check out Edward Said's "Orientalism" (and there's a corresponding book, Occidentalism) that talks about the history behind the phrase/term.
3) "Rugs are Oriental" - Haha, I recently read an article for class that began with that title. It's an interesting way to sum it up.
4) UCD - thanks :)
5) "Model minority" - Yeah, I never ever heard about that until I came to college. Then my first thought tended toward the direction of "Well, heck, that's a good thing, right?" But it's eerily similar to the unreasonably high standards many of us already place upon ourselves... those of us who don't make the cut deal with a heightened sense of failure.
And yeah, there are some pretty ingrained stereotypes about Asian women being a sex fetish and the like. Kristina Wong, an AA researcher and artist, does a piece called "Wong Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" which talks about Asian American women who struggle with depression and the unique isolation they suffer behind the "model minority."
6) "Oriental" - you bring up a great point about an effective and tactful way to initiate conversations about race. Most people I've met are not really intentionally racist - they just lack exposure, etc. And I think an objective, educational response goes a long way.
Oh, I also suggest you pick up Edward Said's book on "Orientalism" and give it a read. :)
7) "Asians in math" - exactly - that's the negative side of the model minority myth.
Also, what's kind of interesting is the fact that the term was constructed as a response to government concerns about "minorities flooding the [white] U.S." They began using the term to emphasize the perceived difference in how the Asian American community handled assimilation in positive contrast to blacks/Hispanics/Native Americans. Heh. So it's not an objective compliment at all.
8) Sharon - good point about stereotypes not necessarily fitting. A lot of people confuse cultural differences with genetic differences, I think - for instance, someone told me this past week that she feels Asians are just naturally better at academics. I absolutely suck at physics/science/math, haha, so I feel your pain and I told her from firsthand experience that it has nothing to do with my genetic makeup ('cuz I have brilliant parents). On the other hand, many of us do have parents who stress academic excellence so strongly that it's ingrained into us from an early age. However, that would be a cultural/family/upbringing issue, not a genetic/racial one at all. Yes?
9) Keith - maybe it's not too late... we should put something together where more Asians can speak out! But maybe the 'Net is the way to go anyway. ;) Can you lobby for us to keep the Web site at least?? :D
10) Silent Chelsea - not so silent after all!! Thanks for the comment - the world could use more colorblind people like you. ;)
11) Jojo - Thanks for checking us out! I'd be interested in hearing more about your experiences as an adopted Asian American - one of my TAs was half black, half Asian - adopted by a black family - and he is an Asian American studies teacher now, I think. I learned a lot from him.
Random/for anyone interested...
Here's an interesting article from a professor of mine here at UT, which talks about "white privilege."
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rjensen/freelance/whiteprivilege.htm
Feel free to email me at katherinefan@gmail.com. Thanks!
I also find the word oriental offensive because it reminds me of how hard the life was for Chinese in America in the late 1800s. They were called orientals as something exotic, cannot assimilate, and barbaric. They were ridiculed and treated unfairly. I am not a rug, I'm a person.
“Psst,” I slipped Suzanne a note in class. “Give me three Asian American stereotypes, off the top of your head.” She thought for a moment and wrote:
Math capabilities/very smart
very smart? So, it's wrong to call Asian Americans "very smart"? What are we suppose to be then, very stupid? I think this model minority thing is taken way too far sometimes.
I am a senior at a small, predominantly white high school. The asians (myself included), tend to form large "asian-only" cliques that are often found studying in the library or staying after class to do lab experiments. I'm guessing this has something to do with the fact everyone thinks asians are super smart....or am i the only one that has seen this?
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