Misconceptions Research Project: The Model Minority Myth and Why it is Harmful
In spring 2024, students in Dr. Emily Stark’s Social Psychology course completed a research project where they identified a misconception related to psychology, conducted both background research and an empirical project measuring belief in that misconception, and summarized their findings in a short blog post paper. The goal was to build student research skills as well as showcase the importance of thinking critically about information encountered in the media or in popular culture. This post shares one of the final blog papers created for this project. For more information on this project, just use the contact page to contact Dr. Stark.
By Lylah Thao
Have you ever heard of the stereotype that all Asians are smart? While this may seem like a positive comment to make, it can be harmful towards those it affects. It shapes the diverse experiences that Asians and Asian Americans have into a restricted experience and can depict unrealistic standards in Asian communities. The model minority myth, as described by Blackburn (2019), is a series of stereotypes that illustrate Asian Americans as kind, well behaved people who are either typically musically gifted or have a high level of intelligence.
Now, why would a collective of stereotypes be considered harmful if it may seem like a series of compliments? An article by Walton & Truong (2022) reviewed 97 studies pertaining to how the model minority myth has affected the following in Asian Americans: education, health, social, and well-being. The participants of these studies used samples of Asian Americans that live in countries in which the majority are of White descent. One key finding was that the model minority myth (MMM) should be understood as a bigger issue than it is, since it perpetuates racial inequalities. Many of the studies had evidence that the perceptions other people had of what being “Asian” was led to difficulties pertaining to how Asian Americans viewed their own identity. This gave an insight that participants in these studies felt that they had an expectation they had to fulfill by making achievements academically. Stereotypes about intelligence in educational settings increased feelings of pressure to be successful, which led to higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem.
If this misconception is harmful to the mental and emotional well-being in many Asian Americans, then they should seek out mental health resources, right? Research says otherwise. According to an article by Schlossberg (2023), provider Dr. Ito at the UCLA says that “Asian Americans are 50% less likely than other racial groups to seek mental health services ... mental health challenges are viewed as an individual problem or weakness and talking openly about sadness, disappointment or depression is rarely encouraged.” Growing up as an Asian American myself, I have witnessed the detrimental effects that untreated mental illnesses have had on the people in my life growing up. While issues are not directly addressed, individuals suffer behind closed doors on their own to save face and not look weak.
I created survey questions to explore this myth and see if people believe it. I also explored attitudes participants had towards four statements in relation to the model minority myth. The total number of participants was 47. Here are some demographics.
The first question on my survey was: Do you believe in the Model Minority Myth?
The results showed that 3 participants stated they believed in the myth, 5 stated they did not, and 39 stated that they did not know what the myth was. According to the data, 82.98% of the participants did not know what the myth was.
Next, I included a series of statements in which participants had to rate whether they agreed, disagreed, or were neutral about them. The matrix table I created included four statements relating to the myth. Of the four statements, responses for statements 1-3 were from all participants which was 47, and the last statement had only 46 responses.
The first statement was: Positive stereotypes can be harmful.
Disagree = 4 (8.51%)
Neutral = 16 (34.04%)
Agree = 27 (57.45%)
The second statement was: Differences in academic achievement are based on race.
Disagree = 24 (51.06%),
Neutral = 18 (38.30%)
Agree = 5 (10.64).
The third statement was: All Asians are smart.
Disagree = 40 (85.11%)
Neutral = 6 (12.77%)
Agree = 1 (2.13%)
The last statement was: People must behave differently if there is a positive stereotype regarding their ethnicity.
Disagree = 27 (58.7%)
Neutral = 15 (32.61%)
Agree = 4 (8.7%)
The results from the matrix table show that although people recognize that this myth is harmful, there were some outliers. One participant agreed with the statement of “All Asians are smart” (2.13%), and 4 participants disagreed with the statement of “Positive stereotypes can be harmful” (8.51%). While this sample may not be a great representation of a greater population, it does leave room to inquire about how a sample from a larger population may view this harmful misconception.
References
Blackburn, S.-S. (2019, March 21). What is the model minority myth?. Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-is-the-model-minority-myth
Schlossberg, J. A. (2023, May 9). Confronting mental health barriers in the asian american and pacific islander community. UCLA Health. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/confronting-mental-health-barriers-asian-american-and-2#:~:text=Overall%2C%20Asian%20Americans%20are%2050,or%20depression%20is%20rarely%20encouraged .
Walton, J., & Truong, M. (2022). A review of the model minority myth: Understanding the social, educational and health impacts. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 46(3), 391–419. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2022.2121170