Model Minority Propaganda, Anti-Blackness, and Solidarity in Asian Communities

On historical proselytism, clashing cultures, and healing rifts between Black and Asian communities.

By Caitlin Le

Since its rise during Asian acculturation in the United States, the narrative of the “Model Minority” has been fiercely debunked The white supremacist belief that Asian Americans are the “better” race – more docile, less resistant, and, as a result, more successful – couldn’t be further from the truth. Nothing more than a tactic to denounce racial activism, prevent solidarity, and uphold the white status quo.

The model minority myth was constructed by racist institutions of power and feeds on our community’s insecurities about assimilation. It plagues on our desire – no, desperation – for success and respect in this country. But does this struggle warrant our prejudice against others?

To explore this contentious but too-often ignored question, I chatted with Cecil Ehirindu.

Cecil is a senior studying psychology and health and exercise science, with plans to pursue his Masters of Public Health postgrad. As a leader in OU’s African Student Association, Diversity Enrichment Programs, and Minority Health Sciences Conference (just to name a few), as well as a second-generation Nigerian immigrant and first-generation college student, Cecil is a proven advocate for health and educational equity

As a friend, I know how involved you are with organizations pushing for equity and diversity. How has experiencing diversity, whether with your own Black community or with other ethnic groups, impacted you?

“[My involvements] are my way of owning who I am as a person. They all go back to d one thing – holding these different identities that have shaped me to the person I am today. In these diverse groups, there’s a lot of empowerment to be educated. I feel more in touch with myself because I’m able to share these experiences with people who look like me I’ve been able to be myself

It’s no secret that Black and Asian communities are often at odds on social and political issues. What would you say are some of the most pressing rifts between Black and Asian communities today?

As a first generation Nigerian American, I think the model minority myth is hard. My parents are also immigrants and have compared who we are to Asian people. They see them as the epitome of success – this is the threshold, where you need to be in society. So a lot of it stems from competition and the historical traumas we’ve both been through. But I think a lot of altercations we have are because we don’t recognize the people who have pitted us against each other. We don’t look at the colonizers and oppressors because we’re comparing ourselves to each other.

But, beyond all of the layers in the model minority myth, I think that there’s a belief that Asian people often choose to be Asian when it benefits them. Black people can’t do that. We’re always Black.

Yes, so many Asian Americans feel that to achieve the “American Dream,” we d really do need to approximate ourselves to whiteness. Many Asians are led to believe that their success, although a result of forced assimilation and systemic narratives that pit ethnic minorities against each other, really is achievable if you “pull yourself up by your bootstraps”. It pushes anti-Blackness in the notion that, “If I as an Asian person can achieve success despite immigration and racism, why can’t Black Americans?” What do you think is wrong with this narrative, or how can we defeat it?

We have to look back at the historical context of what Black people have been through to understand each other Even after slavery, there were no reparations or desegregation or education. We were and are hurting. People see us as lazy or stupid, but we’ve been through so much trauma.

That historical context is definitely necessary, and it’s a privilege to stay ignorant to that. Because so many Asian Americans are unaware of this history, I feel like we ignore one of our biggest distinctions from Black Americans: time. While the majority of Black Americans know little about their cultural or familial heritage – a product of the slave trade and white attempts to dwindle Black people’s resilience – many Asian Americans are heavily involved with d their native culture. Asian migrants came in droves only after the 1950s, meaning many Asian Americans today still speak their native language and practice their country’s traditions. This ability to indulge in one’s culture so freely is a privilege that we take for granted. Within your Black community, do you feel as if there is any tensions for Asian Americans because of this privilege?

Black people are generations removed because of slavery and for any resilience we put up, we were ultimately shut down. From that, there’s a lot of internal struggle about not knowing your culture or lineage or language It’s no one’s fault, but 400 years assimilating in America is a lot compared to a few decades. You start to feel a lot of resentment – some for others, but mostly for yourself – when you start to compare. Asians are such a successful group of people and we see that and wonder how to get to that point. There’s also a lot of arguments that you haven’t faced the same oppression as us, which causes tensions as well.

And I think that that difference between the caliber of our struggles is meaningful. Remembering to stray away from the “oppression olympics” is important, but we as Asians need to realize the part we play in Black oppression. Although colorism, for example, stems from ancient class divides – unskilled laborers and poorer people often worked outside and had darker skin – many Asian Americans have used this narrative to support antiBlackness. How have you experienced this colorism from the Asian community?

Because of my dark skin, I think I’ve experienced more colorism than others When I talk to my lighter-skin friends, they don’t have the same experiences as me with outward racism. I’ve been called the N word with a hard R at my predominantly white schools. Your complexion matters, and that narrative has been pushed onto me and perpetuated in everyday life.

It’s very difficult for a lot of Asian Americans to wrap their heads around that intersectionality. Colorism obviously affects our communities too, but it’s not nearly as oppressive as it can be to Black Americans. Especially because we participate in those oppressive behaviors. It’s also unfortunate that, systemically, a lot of the tensions between Black and Asian communities will highlight these historical issues rather than the historical solidarities between our communities. For example, it was the 1960s Black Power Movement that inspired us to coin the term “Asian American”. And throughout the same decade, Black and Asian students rallied together to fight for equal higher education opportunities. Why do you think these instances of solidarity are so often ignored?

It’s human nature to look at the d negatives, but governments and people in power also don’t want that retaliation. It’s propaganda – they’re going to paint every bad picture and ignore what went well. Like you said, we’ve seen moves toward empowerment and inspired each other If other communities saw us rise above all this hate and have solidarity, there would be uproar. They don’t want that. They want to keep us contained in a box so that there isn’t another protest. They can control us that way.

These institutions so often sensationalize the interracial conflicts and violence between our two communities instead of celebrating the steps we’ve taken away from it. Can you d think of any similarities or solidarities our communities share that should be highlighted?

I feel like Black and Asian communities both value tradition. Not necessarily a lack of change, but how much pride we take in our culture. Eating together as a family, or celebrating the people around us. We’ll always have that. We’re very similar that way.

That’s very true. Past all the anti-Black narratives that institutions push on other minorities, I feel like we can all relate in the sense of culture and familial connection that we feel. On the same positive note, do you have any idea what d our communities can focus on to work toward solidarity? Especially in younger, more educated spaces like university, what do Asian Americans have to learn from the Black community?

It’s important to know that help isn’t always what’s needed. Sometimes advocacy and understanding is better. By just educating yourself and being open to different experiences – going to a few meetings at a diverse organization, or just showing that you’re teachable and willing to learn – you tell others that you’re trying to understand. People want us to be stuck in the same uneducated cycle because they want to control us. They d d want to make sure that we don’t rise above. But by being in higher education and being a part of those diverse spaces, you’re showing others that you’re there for them.

While Asian Americans may not be at fault for systemic anti-Blackness, we have a responsibility to combat it whenever possible. Most times, that responsibility starts at home. By denouncing the anti-Black narratives present in our communities and advocating for Black lives whenever possible, we can fight for solidarity against those who have truly oppressed us.