Few stereotypes are as harmful both on screen and in real life as the model minority myth, but simply the perception of people of Asian descent as inherently more hardworking and career-driven than other groups. Though at first it may seem to be a form of positive representation, since so many of the traits associated with it are positive, the majority of its repercussions are actually very negative. But that's not quite what this video is about. Rather, I want to talk about the range of tropes that Asian characters are often put into, and how the existence of the model minority stereotype has led to the creation of even more harmful tropes. First of all, a quick explanation of the model minority myth.
The term and idea of the model minority originates largely from the 1960s, primarily used when speaking about Chinese or Japanese people, but later spread to South Asians as well. It existed in real life far before it existed on screen, but today it's a problem in both places. Math Club!
Yeah? I'm Asian. You guys Asian? It's pretty racist, man. Before I really get started though, it's important to note that this concept in real life is very complex, very harmful, and something that's been explained by people much more qualified than me.
And I'll put some links in the description to articles discussing this concept that I highly recommend you read. That said, I'm going to shift the attention to the area more relevant for this video. Media.
Especially in a TV show or film context, model minority refers to people, more specifically in this case, characters, of Asian descent who are essentially hardworking, straight-A, bookish, career or academics driven. You get the picture. But that's the base of it.
It also includes a slew of other stereotypes, such as making the character socially awkward and lacking in any sex appeal, or including a tiger mom character who enforces unrealistic academic expectations. My mom will threaten me with bodily harm if I make anything below an A. Totally motivating.
The model minority myth might in some cases be viewed as positive, progressive representation. After all, most of the traits it involves are good things, like being smart or determined. And yes, it technically could be worse. However, people of Asian descent are of course not a homogenous group, and viewing them as such through these sorts of stereotypes is very damaging. Not to mention the unrealistic expectations it creates and the way it demands Asian people to conform to a very narrow stereotype.
It also creates and continues to preserve a stereotype of Asian people being meek, non-aggressive, and quote unquote overcoming racism through hard work. A model minority. I didn't want to cause any trouble, so I apologize all the time, even when I wasn't wrong.
And therefore perpetuates unrealistic ideas of oppressed people being able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps despite oppression. Because of this, the model minority myth can also be harmful to non-Asian minorities by implying that they have the capability to overcome racism, but simply aren't working hard enough. But if you look at representations of Asian characters on screen, there's sometimes a deviation from and backlash to this model minority way of representing Asians.
Though that sometimes consists of truly developed characters, it more often means characters who are the very opposite of model minority characters, unintelligent ditzy characters. Teen Vogue calls this the anti-model minority. One of the most well-known of these characters is The Good Place's Jason Mendoza, who is known for being dumb, but likable nonetheless.
I have no idea what's going on right now, but everyone else is talking and I think I should too. Most of these anti-model minority characters fit that dumb but likable description, such as Josh from Crazy Gek's Girlfriend or Kelly from The Office. The anti-model minority is often characterized by a goofy, lighthearted personality, attractiveness, and a lack of intelligence, all things that aren't historically associated with Asian characters.
So in this way, anti-model minority characters are a much needed defiance of the model minority myth, showing that there can be a range of characteristics for Asian characters and people. However, the anti-model minority can also be taken a different way, resulting in far less positive representation. Let's start, though, by talking about the more Jason Mendoza-style character.
Obviously, an Asian character simply being dumb isn't inherently a bad thing. Characters who are, as Upworthy puts it, lovable idiots are often a positive for Asian representation. What's important to note about this type of character is that they simply happen to be a little ditzy, rather than being unintelligent because of stereotypically Asian traits.
Which of course isn't a real thing due to the multitude of Asian cultures and countries. More so, traits that media views as foreign and different. These characters are also, as their name implies, still lovable and interesting.
Characters like Jason Mendoza don't come anywhere close to fitting into the model minority trope, but at the same time, they aren't used to perpetuate stereotypes about Asians. And importantly, though their unintelligence is sometimes the butt of the joke, it's never based around them being Asian. This is the main characteristic differentiating this trope from the one I'm about to talk about.
That the lovable idiot character's unintelligence isn't intertwined with them being Asian. As Teen Vogue says, the unintelligent Asians of contemporary television help break down the model minority myth without perpetuating the otherness of Asian people. And ideally, this is true. Their unintelligence isn't portrayed in a light of otherness by placing stereotypically Asian characteristics, accents, or cultures as the butt of jokes.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for all portrayals of Asian characters. Ironically, the backlash to the model minority myth has almost created its own trope, the dumb Asian character. When I say dumb, though, I'm not really referring to the silly, charismatic dumb Asian characters like Jason or Josh.
That unintelligence isn't so bad. Rather, I'm referring to how portrayals conflate unintelligence with linguistic and cultural differences. Essentially, characters who speak very little English conform with stereotypes about Asian people, all for the purpose of comedy, and for the purpose of portraying them as stupid.
Do you understand? Yes, I eat the fish. To be specific, the dumb Asian trope is mainly a result of those stereotypical racist portrayals. When it comes to characters that are simply ditzy like Jason, there's not really a risk of negatively impacting viewers' mindsets or perpetuating stereotypes. After all, as Inverse writes, it's unlikely that a dozen Jason Mendozas will undo decades of unflattering, stereotyped math nerds.
So we probably don't need to worry about an overcorrection that will typecast Asian actors as sexy dumb bros. That said, there is a risk of painting Asian people as dumb because of barriers based around them being Asian. Generally, the more negatively portrayed and dumb characters are, the more quote-unquote Asian their character is. with traits like having a thick accent, being very connected to an Asian culture, or having more stereotypically Asian names like John Yang from Silicon Valley. On the other hand, lovable idiot characters could often be replaced by a white actor without any characteristics needing to be changed. While both the lovable idiot and the dumb Asian character are centered around the same idea, being dumb, the difference is in the details.
While many characters like Jason simply happen to be dumb, Representation begins to be bad when stupidity is conflated with stereotypically Asian characteristics, accents, names, and overall cultures. It's great to see some lovable idiot characters who don't fit into the model minority myth, and who also don't reinforce stereotypes about comedically portrayed quote-unquote foreign dumb Asian characters. However, it's worth noting that the lovable idiot characters are also nonetheless fitting into a trope, just one that isn't usually associated with Asians. In an ideal world, Asian characters wouldn't have to either be the ultra smart one or the ultra dumb one, and instead be more often in the spotlight and leading roles, not just comedic sidekicks.
Stereotypes about certain groups are often a direct result of a lack of representation. Asian people are historically very underrepresented. And, despite advances, continue to be underrepresented. In 2018, Asian characters still only made up 4.8% of all film roles in Hollywood. Of course, there's no easy fix to this, and no way for the film industry to quickly overcome years of anti-Asian racism and stereotyping.
But one way to diminish stereotypes is to simply have more Asian characters. Having many Asian characters on many Asian-led films and shows will instill in viewers the idea that there is no one way that people of Asian descent act. Some of the best films from the last few years with Asian main characters are so well done because they don't continue the history of viewing Asian people as other.
Recent films like Always Be My Maybe or To All The Boys I've Loved Before are stories of Asian characters through their eyes, through a lens that sees them as relatable main characters, not as others. As people of Asian descent in the film industry are finally beginning to get the accolades and opportunities they deserve, these types of films that make an effort not to portray Asians as other are becoming more common. Though bad representation is still prevalent, we've certainly come a long way from the unbelievably racist portrayals that were so widely accepted just a few decades ago.
Stereotypes and tropes, even if they consist of traits that seem to be good, like the model minority myth, are a way of othering. of unnecessarily trying to fit minority groups into boxes. So as much as extremely nerdy or extremely ditzy characters can be fine, and are often improvements to more overtly racist representation, some more nuanced Asian characters, and some more Asian characters in general, would be far better.
As Lena Xu writes regarding The Good Place, the show is well-crafted and Mendoza is undeniably lovable. Nonetheless, let us not be afraid to have high standards when it comes to representation. What we cannot do is let our identities be defined by stereotypes. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, specifically thoughts for my subscribers of Asian descent.
I've tried my best in this video to be accurate and sensitive to what a heavy topic this can be, but if I've made any errors or if you just have a different perspective you want to share, let me know in the comments. And as always, thanks for watching.