Camden’s Blog

Unmasking the myth of the model minority – Benji Chang and Wayne Au

 This article could serve as an example to unmasking the myth of all minorities in America.  The racial classifications in our country really underserve all races and perpetuate white priviledge – this has been true since their inception.  What stands out about the Asian classification in this country is the buy-in by those in positions of privilege that some Asian cultures academically shine by following the puritanic doctrines of hard work and quiet assimilation.  Forgotten are the years of discrimination and racial hatred endured by the ancestors of our 4th and now 5th generation Japanese and Chinese.  During their years of early immigration, our society was not lauding them as model citizens. 

So currently, the very large unbrella system of racial classification really performs three functions of masking.  First, it masks  the history and the shame of a nation built on exploiting minority immigrant populations.  Second, it masks continued disparities toward newly immigrant populations by throwing them into the water and making these cultures literally disappear as they disolve into the vast Asian ocean.  And this happens in the Hispanic Ocean and African/Black Ocean, and long ago began in the Native American/Indian Ocean.  Finally, the macro masking of this myth is that it allows a wedge to be forged between and within racial minorities and thus, provides justification for other racial myths that built on inferiority and the perpetuation of white superiority.  I whole- heartedly agree with Chang and Au that engaging in stereotyping of any kind – positive or negative is perilous and has no place in education.

 So what does this all mean in our classrooms?  Teachers must really take the time to understand the culture, and in many cases, cultures from which our students come.  We must not assume that we know by what we see superficially, in most cases we do not.  We should not assume a student is deprived because their cultural norms are different from our own.  In fact, we should consider the possibility that we might actually be the ones deprived.  When teaching about heroes and sheroes, art, social studies we should include many examples from many cultures – not just in the US but globally. This is the beginning of a socially just classrom.   

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