Asian American Pacific Islander communities face problematic perceptions
Model minority, forever foreigner and the tri-cultural myth are terms that perpetuate issues
May 26, 2021
A panel of Asian American leaders recently discussed their journeys and several areas of thought that affect Asian American communities such as the terms model minority, forever foreigner and the tricultural myth idea. The panelists, University of New Mexico’s Kiran Katira, city councilor Lan Sena and educator Aleli Colón, participated on the panel as part of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
Model minority has been a term used over the decades to define Asian-Americans through their perceived collective success. The model minority idea came out of the civil rights era to say that AAPI communities ‘have faced oppression, but yet, they’re doing great.’ It minimizes the role racism plays in the struggles of other racial and ethnic minority groups. The myth in turn has compounded health inequities including domestic violence and Asian hate crimes reportedly up more than 150 percent with 6,000+ incidents since this March.