Out of the Box

By Seth Phung

When I was little, I was a huge Disney Channel fan. I loved watching shows like Phineas and Ferb, Zach and Cody, and Hannah Montana and I’d spend hours on end glued to my TV screen. One show that particularly stood out to me was Jessie, a fun and feel-good story that followed the life of a nanny in New York City. It had a surprisingly diverse cast of characters following a Nanny’s hijinks. I was so surprised when they produced a spin-off called “Bunk’d”. In it, they were expanding on some past characters while introducing brand new ones, one of them being a Chinese girl named “Tiffany Chen”, who was played by Nina Lu.

I was so excited as a kid to see an Asian American in Bunk’d, a show so popular with people my age. The reality was so much more disappointing than I could have imagined. Tiffany Chen was written as an Asian American kid who focused on working on school, playing the violin, and studying instead of wanting to have fun. She was often the punchline where the set up “Look at how much this Asian person studies”. I was devastated that this is how Asian Americans were being depicted in Bunk’d, to know that this is the idea of an Asian American in the American consciousness.

Shh! I'm studying for the National Spelling Bee! If I don't win, my mom won't let me come home. My brother lost last year, and I haven't seen him in ten months!

- Tiffany Chen (S1, E1)

In the United States, there’s a common perception of Asian Americans in the public mind. It’s one where it views Asian Americans as naturally good at math at science. It sees Asian Americans as amazingly talented studiers and high achieving. Asian Americans are viewed musical geniuses or have some sort of innate talent for playing piano or violin. Our mothers are tiger moms, our fathers are effeminate and nerdy and, notably, Americans don’t hold leadership positions in their respective fields in a phenomenon called “The Bamboo Ceiling”. These are all components that make a narrative that’s known widely as “The Model Minority Myth”.

You might argue it’s a “media perception” or just a fad, but the truth is that The Model Minority Myth is ingrained into the public consciousness. It practically is the Asian American stereotype in this country. It’s such a baffling and nuanced expectation to hang over us, - the notion that we are somehow superior to others in certain aspects (like academics and music) and worse in others (like sports and leadership).

However, there is a historical reason for this prejudice existing. It’s not just a perception that appeared out of thin air, its origins can be traced back and explained. And unfortunately, like many things in this country, its roots are steeped in racism and bigotry. During the immigration wave in the 1960’s from Asia, the United States prioritized “skilled workers” with relatives already from the US, creating barriers for poor and working-class immigrants.

This is part of the reason Asian Americans have a different position than other minorities in the United States, a good chunk of the Asian immigrants who came here were already educated and skilled workers. In 1963, during the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement, politicians weaponized the unique status of Asian Americans against other minorities in this country who were marching for equality They pointed at us and yelled, “Look, the Asian Americans aren’t complaining about Civil Rights, they’re a model minority!” We were pointed at as “not a problem minority”, who didn’t protest or complain about the status quo. We were used as a convenient tool, a pawn in a game of racism and bigotry in the fight for Civil Rights and social equality.

This is the basis behind Model Minority Myth, it’s built on the perception that Asian Americans are somehow harder working, smarter, and a “better” minority than other minorities in this country.

It’s tempting to buy into this fantasy, the idea that Asian Americans are unlike other minorities. The truth is that the Model Minority Myth is alarmingly dangerous to the community and is based on lies and expectations that continue to damage the image of Asians in modern society. We, as Asian Americans, already know that the Model Minority Myth is untrue, but the problem is when this caricature of Asian Americans is used against other minorities in this country. We’re put on an imaginary pedestal and pointed at as the “example”. This flawed and harmful image is weaponized against others in a way that’s dangerous and pits minorities against each other, when the truth is that we’re not comparable.

White supremacists use the myth to justify oppression of other minorities in this country. Instead of blaming the systemic issues in our system like racist housing policies and biased policing strategies, they choose to blame minorities for the racism they face. Asian Americans are part of this blame game White Supremacists use We’re used as an example of what minorities should be, when the example itself is inaccurate and racist to begin with.

The Model Minority Myth is a tool to wash away the effects of white supremacy and put the blame for systemic injustices on those being oppressed, rather than the people doing the oppressing.

The reality is that the Model Minority Myth does more harm than good. It traps Asian Americans in a box. It stereotypes us and allows people to judge us without knowing who we really are. Not only that, but it minimizes our achievements and successes as individuals because of what’s expected of us Asian Americans who study tirelessly to achieve good grades aren’t given proper credit because it’s what people think that’s what they should be doing.

And for those of us who aren’t good at academics, there’s a crippling standard that we have to follow a path that we don’t want to follow. It makes us all think we have to be doctors or engineers. It robs us of the opportunity to explore ourselves and who we want to be. Growing up with that burden is heavy and more importantly, taxing on Asian American mental health

That idea we have to be perfect, that idea we have to be something we aren’t. It takes its toll. And we can talk about the heavy-minded consequences, but honestly, it just sucks. It sucks that people just think you’re good at math and science. It sucks that people think you’re naturally going to be a doctor. It sucks that people think it’s okay to put others inside of a box.

That’s where this gets frustrating. It’s very tempting not to care. It’s very tempting to not want to make a difference. It’s easy to give up, to think that the things we do won't matter in the end. But cynicism leads to apathy. And apathy is when we truly die as a community, when we stop caring about each other. We cannot allow the Model Minority Myth to be normalized

There are Asian American children who will continue to grow up, and do we want to give them the same prejudice and expectations?

There’s so much more to you and me than the perceptions people have of us, whether that be positive or negative. Why should people think they know us just because they have an idea of what Asian Americans are like? We’re so much more complex, so much more interesting, and so much deeper than just pencil-pushing-dweebs trying to be doctors We’re artists, actors, fashionistas, writers, creators, and the list goes on. We’re so much more than just the racist caricatures people imagine us to be. The culture of Asian Americans cannot be constrained in any box.

When I was approached to write for the AASA magazine, I was told that the theme of this month is rebellion. I really mulled over what that meant, to be “rebellious” in this day and age. Is it going against your parents? Is it doing things you typically wouldn’t? I was unsure. But as I thought on it, I realized how I wanted to encourage rebellion in this day and age. I remember Bunk’d and how seeing Asian Americans depicted made me feel I remember the rage I felt when I saw Asian Americans depicted as dorky, meek, and always the punchline to a greater joke. I know now what message of rebellion I’d want to pass on.

At its core, prejudice and racism exist because of ignorance and convenience.

It’s easier to make assumptions about people, to not try to truly know someone else. There will be some people in this world who refuse to see who you are. I’m telling you right now, make them. Show them you’re not some racist image in their mind. Be the person you want to be, free from other people’s opinions.

The truth is that Asian Americans have so much talent, so much passion, and so much kindness we can share with the world. We’re not all doctors, we’re not all musicians, and we don’t all care about getting straight A’s In an era where prejudice like the Model Minority Myth seems to be as prevalent as ever, I encourage you to be unapologetically yourself. I want you to be as unique and special as you are, because that’s what it means to be Asian American. It means embracing the things that make us different and cherishing the things that make us similar.

Asian Americans have a place in this country. We have a rich history, a vibrant culture, and a truly unique community. Don’t let the close-mindedness of others change that. Rebel against these perceptions. Don’t let them throw a label on you. Instead, show them who you really are Show them how you’re so much more than their prejudice.

Be brilliant. Be brave. Be unapologetically yourself.