Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: Dorothea Lange picture of Japanese-American children reciting the pledge of allegiance
Books & eBooks
Model-Minority Imperialism by ISBN: 0816645116Publication Date: 2006-09-22At the beginning of the twentieth century, soon after the conclusion of the Spanish-American War, the United States was an imperialistic nation, maintaining (often with the assistance of military force) a far-flung and growing empire. After a long period of collective national amnesia regarding American colonialism, in the Philippines and elsewhere, scholars have resurrected the power of "empire" as a way of revealing American history and culture. Focusing on the terms of Asian American assimilation and the rise of the model-minority myth, Victor Bascara examines the resurgence of empire as a tool for acknowledging--and understanding--the legacy of American imperialism. Model-Minority Imperialism links geopolitical dramas of twentieth-century empire building with domestic controversies of U.S. racial order by examining the cultural politics of Asian Americans as they are revealed in fiction, film, and theatrical productions.
Color of Success by ISBN: 1306081882Publication Date: 2013-01-01"The Color of Success" tells of the astonishing transformation of Asians in the United States from the "yellow peril" to "model minorities"--peoples distinct from the white majority but lauded as well-assimilated, upwardly mobile, and exemplars of traditional family values--in the middle decades of the twentieth century. As Ellen Wu shows, liberals argued for the acceptance of these immigrant communities into the national fold, charging that the failure of America to live in accordance with its democratic ideals endangered the country's aspirations to world leadership. Weaving together myriad perspectives, Wu provides an unprecedented view of racial reform and the contradictions of national belonging in the civil rights era. She highlights the contests for power and authority within Japanese and Chinese America alongside the designs of those external to these populations, including government officials, social scientists, journalists, and others. And she demonstrates that the invention of the model minority took place in multiple arenas, such as battles over zoot suiters leaving wartime internment camps, the juvenile delinquency panic of the 1950s, Hawaii statehood, and the African American freedom movement. Together, these illuminate the impact of foreign relations on the domestic racial order and how the nation accepted Asians as legitimate citizens while continuing to perceive them as indelible outsiders. By charting the emergence of the model minority stereotype, "The Color of Success" reveals that this far-reaching, politically charged process continues to have profound implications for how Americans understand race, opportunity, and nationhood.
Culture Shock for Asians in U. S. Academia by ISBN: 1306170907Publication Date: 2013-01-01Culture Shock for Asians in U.S. Academia: Breaking the Model Minority Myth discusses the unique cultural challenges that Asians face in U.S. academia. The issues facing Asians in academia are worthy of our attention for two major reasons: the numerical significance of Asians in U.S. academia and the fact that their problem has been largely eclipsed due to their visible success and status as model minority. Asian immigrants are often called the model minority because of their Confucianist work ethic and emphasis on ye," or social order, as well as the high value placed on education. Additionally, Asians generally have often been stereotyped as excelling in academics. However, they face serious problems in adjusting to the U.S. academic system. These problems are due to cultural patterns and variables that are largely invisible, yet nonetheless have an undeniable impact on academics. The issues that affect students ranging from kindergarten through graduate school, and that also affect scholars in academic careers beyond the formative process, are reviewed systematically in this book. Analysis of issues is based on intercultural communication theories and suggestions for overcoming these challenges are suggested.Becoming aware of and addressing the roadblocks for Asians is important not only for Asian students and scholars, but also for educators, education administrators, and institutions. Additionally, helping Asians to overcome the challenges in academia not only helps academia to become a more inclusive place where all students can learn and all scholars can work in academia successfully, it also benefits society by producing a more literate, educated, and qualified workforce overall. By promoting understanding of this important topic in a systematic and theoretic fashion, valuable resources can be realized to their full potential. "
Videos
Confined within the boundaries of the model minority myth, Asian Americans are commonly perceived as a mass of indistinguishable overachievers who are all “smart” and “good at math.” However, these seemingly positive stereotypes can have a detrimental impact on not only Asian Americans, but also race relations in general. In this talk, Alice Li draws from research studies and her personal experiences to challenge the two-dimensional identity outlined by the model minority myth. Originally from Kentucky, Alice Li is a sophomore at Vanderbilt University. She is pursuing a major in neuroscience and a minor in music performance. In 2015, she was honored as a United States Presidential Scholar and as a Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship recipient. Outside of class, she enjoys cooking, playing piano, writing articles for the student newspaper, conducting research in a psychology lab, and participating in cross-cultural organizations. Her diverse interests stem from a desire to both create and exchange ideas with others, and she is passionate about exploring the intersection of academic disciplines and personal stories.
Eddy Zheng's mission is to use his experiences to inspire and motivate young people to invest in their education, raise awareness about the detrimental impact that the Prison Industrial Complex has on the Asian and Pacific Islander population, and promote racial harmony among people of color. Eddy is the Co-Director for the Oakland based Asian Prisoner Support Committee (APSC) and serves as the Chair of the San Francisco Board of Supervisor appointee on the Department of Children Youth and their Families’ Oversight and Advisory Committee, Commissioner at the Alameda County Department of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commission, the Board of Directors in San Francisco’s Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC).
