When did "Model Minority" title tailed Asian Americans?

The term “Model Minority” as we know it has long represented the Asian Americans, but where did it come from?

The answer can be found in an article from the 1966 January issue of The New York Times Magazine, in which a journalist named William Peterson wrote an article called “Success Story: Japanese American Style.” Peterson admired how well the Japanese adapted to the American culture and he nicknamed the Japanese, calling them the “Model Minority”. Two decades later, in 1980s, many magazines that were popular at the time ran articles about the Asian American population’s success in schools, communities, and societies. This officially cemented the myth of the Asian American “model minority”.

The myth of the Asian American is built around perceived cultural values, including the beliefs that Asian American students are: passionate and devoted to their perceived path in life; respectful to their parents, teachers, and elders; smart; good at math and science; and hard working. These ideas are still present today – therefore, the established stereotype has yet to disappear, despite the fact that the “model minority” is a myth.  

The reason the stereotype lingers is because media – which has a large impact on people – is prolonging it. For example, the picture above shows students separated by different ethnicity; it is taken from the California Standard Testing’s website, and shows the actual results. Throughout the years, the Asian Americans have consistently ranked first. For this reason, even though the model minority is more myth than truth, people still believe in the stereotype because Asian Americans do – to some extent – excel in academic areas. However, that does not mean that the stereotype is a good thing, nor does it mean people should continue to expect all Asian Americans to ace their tests and get perfect grades. Every individual is different, and the stereotype takes away from a person’s individuality.