The Model Minority Myth Isn’t an American Problem—It’s an International Problem

It’s a widespread issue for the entire Asian community

I graduated with a master’s in engineering in 2017. It was one of the most thrilling moments in my life. But what followed for the next couple of years revived my lifelong struggle with Asian stereotypes. Photo courtesy of the author

“Mum, I want to be an astronaut. Going to space is so cool!” I told my mum after reading a book about the Milky Way.

“You will have to move to another country. Somewhere like the U.S. We don’t have such things here,” my mum replied without an ounce of hesitation.

And that was the end of my potential career in astronomy. While I can’t blame my parents for eradicating a five-year-old’s dream — I lost interest after a year anyway — it was the start of my lifelong struggle of wrestling with the “we Asians can’t do this or that” conundrum.

“Only white people can do what they love because they don’t need to worry about money. Their country is rich. But we Asians have to think about making money first,” Dad chided me when I told him I intended to leave engineering.

My parents were always quick to promulgate the idea of living under the confines of stereotypical Asian careers. At the end of every argument, it just reminded me of what they would tell me when I was a child:

“You can go look for a white stepdad or stepmom if you want a better life.”

They reprimanded me for questioning their sacrosanct beliefs.

It reminded me that no matter how successful we turn out to be, many of us will still believe we won’t live a life as good as a white person. It reminded me that white supremacy won’t leave me alone. It reminded me that we need to wage a war within ourselves to feel proud of our identity if we ever do.

For just about anyone of Asian descent, I’m certain that you have heard similar rebukes from your parents. And, for the Asian community in the Western world, more specifically in the United States, these are all emblems of the model minority myth.

These are the stereotypes that are deeply ingrained in the fabric of our society. But the conversations about how these stereotypes harm the Asian community happen mostly in the United States. And perhaps at times in the U.K. and Australia. Unfortunately, the struggles of Asian diasporas in the rest of the world have been mostly ignored.