The term “model minority” characterizes Asian Americans as law-abiding immigrants that can achieve the American dream, by following in a white man’s steps. Asians are seen as the “model minority”, not a minority, and not as a person of color. The term “model minority” creates a stigma in American society that Asians will always be seen as foreigners. This is considered true racism against Asian Americans. From the thousands of Chinese immigrants who were imported to the states to build the transcontinental railroad and Japanese Americans who fought WW2, it shows how Asian Americans constantly need to prove their Americanness. Because of this foreignness, Asian Americans feel the need to stand by whites, promoting white supremacy to create a sense of belonging, creating a growing sense of anti-blackness within the community. This bridges the BIPOC community further. The system that hurts the Black and Brown community is the same system that Asian Americans are benefiting from. Just like how officer Tou Thao stood there watching a fellow POC murdered by a colleague of his. With the increase in the already existing tension between the two minorities, many Asian Americans try to break the “model minority” title and recognized the stereotypes as part of normalized racism against Asian America, to stand up against white supremacy during the peak of the #BlackLivesMatter protest. It is a fact that Asian Americans don’t suffer from police brutality and constant degradation and racism by society like black people. However, because of this title, racism/ microaggression against Asians seems not to exist. It’s become to the point that it is “normalized”. People don’t blink an eye when someone says derogatory terms like ching- chong or bat eater; especially, when our president calls the coronavirus, the china-flu. The myth of the model minority ignores the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Japanese internment in the 1940s and creates a false picture of the US as a welcoming place for Asian immigrants.

Nguyen says this because there will never be the end of Asian Americans. This is because it is unlikely for racism or capitalism to end. Asian American is part of the corrupted system that supports racism. This is a system that creates a constant need for Asian American to prove their Americaness. Because of this eagerness, the racism they face is ignored because they just want to be accepted. They are titled the model minority because of the foreign view by society, which tempts them with siding with the whites. Allowing them to be the example of all minorities, yet this is also the same system that exploits Asians as a source of cheap labor to fuel the wealthy whites. What controls society overall are the wealthy, the CEOs. The minorities are usually the lowest class of society and they are placed against each other over scarce resource “ system of white supremacy and capitalist exploitation” goes hand in hand.

The idea of minority groups formed by society is plain. Only people with actual darker skin are considered POC and ignore the hidden microaggression Asian Americans go through. It also made me think about how society puts POC against each other. It portrays Asian Americans as the ideal minority and is an example for the black and brown community to follow to succeed. However, the success was only done by following the same system that has historically oppressed the black and brown community.