Recent journalism/PR grad addresses daunting influence of the model minority myth

By Emily Chan

In high school, I befriended an Asian American female journalist and asked about the realities of that career. She sighed and said cryptically that the industry for people like us was especially difficult. 

At the time I thought it was a bit pessimistic of a response, but once I got into university and the media world, I learned very quickly what exactly was in store for me… specifically, the amount of racism I would subtly and overtly encounter. 

For context, I just graduated from the University of Oregon with a BA in both public relations and advertising. When I first entered university, I dove headfirst into getting involved in whatever way I could, from student organizations to workspaces. It didn’t immediately sink in why I was the only Asian in many of these spaces. 

During my time, I befriended professors and got opportunities to do more and thought it was just a result of my work ethic that was paying off.  But once I entered those spaces, it was painstakingly clear that people liked me because I checked off all the boxes as to how a stereotypical, token Asian woman presents and conducts herself. 

Emily Chan

Indeed, one of the realities of being an Asian in America is the daunting influence of the model minority myth. The myth, which insinuates that East Asians are more successful because they “keep their head down,” “stay out of trouble,” and thus are superior to other people of color, particularly Black people, is very racist. The stereotypes include depictions of docile wallflower types that are hardworking, loyal, but most importantly keep their mouths shut about issues, to “keep the peace.”

Despite the seemingly positive characteristics that surround the trope, it’s a racist social construct that is rooted in its proximity to white supremacy: the more willing you are to cut down or oppress others around you, the “higher” you can rise. Unfortunately, the characteristics that contribute to susceptibility to affirming the MMM make it difficult to break out of stereotypes and uplift others negatively influenced by it.

“But how does one separate having uncategorizable traits like ‘hardworking,’ ‘diligent,’ and ‘high achieving’ from being just a part of the stereotype? How do I keep track that I’m being equally compared to my counterparts and not operating under higher (and unfair) expectations? ”

Having discussions with my friends about our experiences with our professors and colleagues in workplaces, it was clear that I was better treated because I was (unwittingly, at the time) entrenched in the stereotype. Looking back, I also remember thinking when I got reprimanded for speaking up or having dissonant opinions, that it felt particularly harsh, mixed with undertones of disappointment. Well, it was because I broke out of their preconceived idea of me. 

I’ve seen a lot of awful behavior toward journalists of color, especially Asians in the last year, because of the stereotypes that unconsciously and consciously frame them. For as much as people in the media industry have been voicing their efforts toward fostering greater diversity in their workplaces and supplementing their employees with cultural competency training and resources, there’s still so much under the surface that really doesn’t get addressed. 

The other day, I was in a conversation with some fellow communication professionals where one person asked me a line of tokenizing questions: about my Mandarin speaking proficiency. My proficiency had nothing to do with the conversation, nor was it connected to anything we were talking about, yet it was brought up over and over again. I sat uncomfortably, waiting for it to be over, half unsurprised at the turn of events and half in shock at the lack of his self-awareness in our exchange. No one else said anything in the conversation about their questions, which also shows that others around don’t even realize the impact of some comments. 

“Tokenizing is an extremely easy attitude to have toward Asians, because of the perpetual cycle of stereotypical Asian representation. So it’s incredibly important to be self-aware of these microaggressions. ”

Tokenizing is an extremely easy attitude to have toward Asians, because of the perpetual cycle of stereotypical Asian representation. So it's incredibly important to be self-aware of these microaggressions. But this can be remedied by tuning more into what Asians are saying, the stories being written about them and the causes revolving around them like Stop Asian Hate, plus calling out microaggressions and other racist acts. 

I want to see more Asians in the communications fields, especially journalism. I have met so many amazing and inspiring writers - they were the ones who influenced me to be on the path I am now. But to continue bringing in more of those folks, the working environment and people’s attitudes have to change. We can make those changes, but it will take reflection and acknowledgement of how we frame people in proximity with their culture first.