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.”