But What About Positive Stereotypes?: A Community Based Analysis of the Model Minority Myth
Department
Psychology
Major
Psychology
Document Type
Article
Source
The Ethics and Society Blog
Publication Date
3-26-2021
Abstract
Growing up as an Asian American among primarily Caucasian peers, I remember consistently hearing “you’re so smart and good at school, but that makes sense since you’re Asian” or “you must do really well in school because you’re Asian, right?” I did not think much about these comments at the time simply because, in my head, it was supposed to be a compliment and it reinforced what my parents wanted and expected from me. It couldn’t be a bad thing for people to think or assume that I was good in school or that I was smart. However, it never felt quite right to me. It wasn’t until I began my undergraduate studies and became invested in community relationships and social justice that I learned more about this negative feeling. While minoring in Community Action and Social Change, I learned about the true impact of seemingly positive stereotypes.
-Article excerpt-
Comments
Mia Nguyen's essay, originally written for a Cultural Anthropology class, is the first-place winner of the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education Ethics and Social Justice Essay Prize.