The model minority myth is the pervasive, racist idea that Asians have achieved disproportionate levels of wealth, professional success, and social integration in the U.S. because they have unique qualities (like being unusually intelligent, hardworking, grateful, compliant, family-minded, and law-abiding).
Model Minority Myth Quotes in Minor Feelings
The Minor Feelings quotes below are all either spoken by Model Minority Myth or refer to Model Minority Myth. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
United
Quotes
When the 1965 immigration ban was lifted by the United States, my father saw an opportunity. Back then, only select professionals from Asia were granted visas to the United States: doctors, engineers, and mechanics. This screening process, by the way, is how the whole model minority quackery began: the U.S. government only allowed the most educated and highly trained Asians in and then took all the credit for their success. See! Anyone can live the American Dream! they’d say about a doctor who came into the country already a doctor.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Minor Feelings LitChart as a printable PDF.
Model Minority Myth Term Timeline in Minor Feelings
The timeline below shows where the term Model Minority Myth appears in Minor Feelings. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
United
...the U.S. began allowing a few highly qualified Asian professionals to immigrate—the origin of the model minority myth today. Hong’s father pretended to be a mechanic and obtained visas for himself and Hong’s...
(full context)
The model minority myth promises Asian immigrants inclusion and equality, but it’s never unconditional. For instance, since 9/11, Indian...
(full context)
