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6.7: Deconstructing the “Model Minority” Myth

  • Page ID
    324875
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    “Asian American” is a political identity coined in the 1960s that consolidates over 20 distinct origin groups with vastly different histories, languages, and religions. This panethnic category includes descendants of 19th-century Chinese laborers, refugees from Southeast Asia, and highly educated professionals from India and East Asia (Espiritu 1992). The cultural landscape is therefore incredibly diverse, yet it is often flattened by the pervasive “model minority” myth.


    6.7: Deconstructing the “Model Minority” Myth is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.