Not Your Model Minority

your model min NOT

BY KATHRYN YANG ‘23, RAYNA YU ‘23 Staff Writer, Asssitant Copy Editor

First coined in 1966 by sociologist William Petersen, the term “model minority” solidified a prevailing stereotype of Asians as industrious, law-abiding, and collectively successful. In effect, the stereotype homogenizes the wide diversity of APIA experiences and places a wedge between APIAs and other minorities, especially African Quan Chau (‘21) on the set of Ruddigore as Robin Oakapple, otherwise known as the infamous Sir Ruthven Americans. By placing Murgatroyd. As a coward bewitched by a family curse, Robin must cleverly come to terms with his fate, even if that means momentarily choking his servant. Photo courtesy of Quan Chau. one marginalized community above the other, the stereotype falsely minimizes the role of race in characterizing the “[Cheer] taught me not to really care what other people think...There’s more to cheer, and there’s more to me.” ― Abby Gaddi ‘21 experience of minorities in America. In this column, we showcase the diversity shoulders (after all, she just came from breadth of Abby’s commitment to cheer. of the APIA community at William & the gym), it was hard to imagine Abby “We’re required to do more events than Mary. We are Not Your Model Minority. as anyone but… Abby: a confident people realize— we’re at Convocation, cheerleader with an exuberant love for we’re here during Orientation.” Abby Gaddi, ‘21 the boyband BTS. But, I quickly learned of her formative experience with her “[Cheer] taught me not to really care

“In high school, we had to wear our unconventional high school cheer team. what other people think...There’s more uniforms on Fridays. So think people to cheer, and there’s more to me. I only looking at you, people talking about “In high school, we got a lot of hate appreciate the people who take the time you, ‘why are you wearing that,’ why are from people who’ve never really seen to learn about cheer and learn about you lalala…” As a cheerleader of seven what we do, because all they had seen me too.” Suddenly, Abby’s sureness and years, Abby Gaddi is all too familiar were the sideline cheers — we’re just collected demeanor made sense to me. with the stunts, sass, and stereotypes of yelling things and we’re not doing our cheerleading. full performance.”

Looking at Abby with her calm From practice to performance to demeanor and beautifully toned philanthropy, I was shocked by the

8 Art & Hatsuye

ority

Quan Chau, ‘21

When I first met Quan, he Abby Gaddi (‘21) performs during the halftime show at the CAA tournament. The Tribe had a historic was singing, tapping, twirling season with the best regular-season win total since 1950. Photo by Catie Nguyen. through enchanted curses and a heartfelt love story in antagonists.” One of his favorite Williams, Quan noted that he sees the production Ruddigore. While roles is Willmore from The Rover, “processes within cells, within I waited for my interview with which Quan describes as, “basically biology, as choreography. One thing him, I half-expected Sir Ruthven the f**kboy character.” I was leads to another thing, leads to Murgatroyd to saunter before me. impressed by the psychological another thing. It’s like the steps will heavy lifting he does to bring naturally have to follow in this way.”

At 7 pm, instead of a bewitched his roles to life, even for an gentleman with a wicked accent, a irredeemable character like Although Quan lives outside smiling guy with gray sweatpants Willmore. “The reason why I felt the the realm of expectations, he is and nerd-ish glasses seated himself need to humanize him, is because if still coming to terms with the across the table. the actor doesn’t believe— if I don’t inherently discriminatory world believe— that what I’m doing is of performance arts. Quan hopes

“HI! I’m Quan! Nice to meet right, no one will.” to perform in Asia. “[I want to] you!” I was taken aback. With experience performance where such an unassuming people see me for who appearance, how “[I want to] experience performance where people see I am, and don’t have the could he express so me for who I am, and don’t have the filter of like, oh filter of like, oh he’s an much enthusiasm to a he’s an Asian performer, before seeing who I am as the Asian performer, before stranger? character.” ― Quan Chau ‘21 seeing who I am as the

Quan has a history of subverting Even Quan’s choice of majors TJ Song , ‘23 expectations, in both his theatrical surprised me. “The theater is for career and personal aspirations. me, the biology is for my parents.” It’s easy to understand why As a natural storyteller, Quan Even though his majors seemed TJ is well-liked. Everyone knows loves complexity. “I like playing disparate, Quan has managed to him, and everyone has some funny characters and telling stories contextualize both of his interests. story involving him. Two hundred that are really nuanced. I guess Inspired by his professor, Phoebe words hardly begins to capture the easiest way to put it is… character.”

Isabella DiFulvio (‘23) enjoys a sunny day hiking with her dog. Photo courtesy of Isabella DiFulvio.

words hardly begins to capture his character, but if I had to start somewhere, it would be with his vibrant personality.

TJ makes it a point to win everyone’s affections, and he does that by making them laugh. During our interview, he regaled me with a story about getting caught in a riptide during a school-sponsored dim sum trip. “I was just like, I don’t want to call out for help. I’m still fine. I’m not drowning yet.”

There’s a lot more to TJ than his charm. He’s a prospective business major who still makes time for his eclectic hobbies. Not only does he take part in dance performances, he also has an interest in the spiritual, including tarot readings and astrology. “I don’t believe in a higher being,” he stated, “but sometimes “There’s this expectation of, oh, you’re going to grow up and find a Chinese wife.” ― TJ Song ‘23

it’s nice to imagine. That’s what astrology and divination are for me.”

TJ’s sunny disposition belies his resilience. As a gay Asian-American with flamboyant mannerisms, he struggled with alienation from a young age, feeling pigeonholed into his identity and unable to relate to his white counterparts. Recently, he came out to his parents. “They haven’t completely accepted it, I think. There’s this expectation of, oh, you’re going to grow up and find a Chinese wife.”

Still, he remains optimistic, expressing his excitement in the rise of Chinese-American activism. As I ended the interview, we made plans to meet at a local bar’s queer night. You can always count on TJ for a good time.

Isabella DiFulvio, ‘23

When Isabella joined the main Chinese-American cultural organization on campus, she found herself missing something. Though she enjoyed the events and formed friendships with the members, she wanted more. “As I’ve joined the club longer, I realized that a lot of them aren’t politically active,” she told me. She wasn’t content being in a “just for fun” club - she wanted to be in a community that stood for the underprivileged.

Isabella’s identity is “kind queer Asian people, my girlfriend issues via newsletter. “Not saying of complicated” by her own is one of them. But it’s different anything is the same as not admission. “I’m adopted from and its harder being queer and supporting it,” she declared. China,” she stated, “but my mom Asian, because we didn’t know it is Chinese and my dad is white. was possible.” Isabella is also the incoming But I don’t Co-Director of live with “That’s what I think we need to do a better job with, is pulling in people AASI for 2020- my dad.” from the middle. It’s not too political, if you think about it, in essence it’s 2021, and she She grew our existence we’re talking about.” ― Isabella DiFulvio ‘23 wants to help up thinking activism gain she was her traction among parents’ biological daughter. “After the general student population. I was told that I was adopted, the In her quest to become “That’s what I think we need to confusion I felt thinking I was politically involved, Isabella joined do a better job with, is pulling in mixed-race went away. It just FASA, the Filipino American people from the middle. It’s not proves that race is a total social student organization. She noted too political, if you think about it, construct.” their support for undocumented in essence it’s our existence we’re immigrants, as members attended talking about.”

She’s also been openly queer the Undocutribe vigil, and spread for years. “Of course I’ve met other awareness about immigrant

TJ Song (‘23) takes center stage for a traditional Chinese fan dance performance. Photo courtesy of TJ Song.