The Model Minority

 The Model Minority

In class, the past few days we’ve been touching quite heavily on stereotyping, race in particular. With the BLM movement happening over the summer and the anti-Asian sentiment following the breakout of COVID, the last year has been deep dive into the stereotypes that mean to define people like me. As an Asian female who one day wants to pursue a career in STEM, these sexist or racist thoughts that generalize people are something that I am subject to everyday.

With the model minority idea, a lot of the work and effort that I put into my schooling and homework or other assignments is brushed off as the bare minimum, typical for someone like me. I’m supposed to be smart, but maybe not well suited for places of higher leadership. My “inborn” intelligence is supposed to be the reason I am where I am today, and my hard work is normalized and unseen and unappreciated.

On the other hand, as a female in STEM, I commonly have my preferences, actions, and abilities pre assumed. In many ways, I’m seen as less able. Too many times, I’ve been subjected to the very awkward, “Hi guys…(and girl)” greeting, which I pretend to find humorous. In robotics last January, I heard jokes made about Chinese internment camps (kudos to COVID and racism), which I normalized, and even laughed at, even though I really didn’t find it too funny.

These expectations and stereotypes form toxic metrics and racist ideology to which other people compare me to. I myself commonly ask if I truly measure up to people’s idea of the Asian race, or I’m really meant for a career in STEM. Being aware of these injustices everyday is essential for developing critical consciousness and forming an educated perspective through which to see the world. Prejudice is inherent in all of us, and it’s something we have to work to change.