In the article, “Asian Americans are still caught in the trap of the “Model Minority” Stereotype. And it Creates Inequality for All”, the author describes a plethora of issues that the term, “model minority”, creates for Asian Americans today. The term model minority is used to describe a group of minorities that are perceived to be successful, and are used as a comparison to other minority groups.

The author, Viet Nguyen, goes in-depth on how the label of the model minority is dangerous. For instance, he describes how in his high school years he would experience, “…low-level racism… in elite environments.” He mentions how he and his few Asian friends would joke about how they were, “the Asian invasion”, on campus. However, years later when Nguyen returned to his school to give a lecture on race, he found that there were still lingering issues. Even though he found that more Asian students were present at his school since his time, some Asian-American students came forward to talk to him about feeling foreign. In addition to this, Nguyen mentions how racism has been normalized in America’s history. He mentions that racism is not just in the form of physical assault, but can be felt in many seemingly innocent things like radio and movies. Nguyen vividly recalls the apparent racism in old American war movies and comedies, leading him and many other Asian Americans to feel inadequate and shameful of their culture.

The idea of the model minority is toxic because similar to Nguyen and those high school students, they continue to feel alienated in a nation that is meant to be a cultural melting pot. As quoted by Nguyen,”…we were, instead, the model: the desirable classmate, the favored neighbor, the nonthreatening kind of person of color.” Nguyen maintains the idea that minorities in America often face these struggles of being accepted in American society. He draws a close observation, in how Asian Americans, “…still do not wield enough political power, or have enough cultural presence, to make many of our fellow Americans hesitate in deploying a racist idea.” This idea, referring to the President and many others calling Covid-19 the, “Chinese virus”, or the “Kung flu”.

Nguyen writes, “the end of Asian Americans only happens with the end of racism and capitalism.”, most likely in reference to his personal experiences. Within the article, he mentions his own background and his parents’ struggles. I believe he mentions this, particularly about capitalism, because of the outcome his parent’s store faced. At the beginning of the article, he mentions that his parents immigrated to the U.S. after they had lost their property and most of their fortunes. His parents worked tirelessly in a foreign world, to grasp this new language whilst also struggling to provide for themselves and their children. At the end of the article, Nguyen bleakly concludes his parents’ hardships and achievements in America. He finishes by mentioning that capitalism is what led downtown San Jose, to be changed. Thus, leading to his parents being forced to sell their property, and ushering in a tower of expensive condominiums. Even though capitalism is what allowed his parents to start-up a business in America, it is the same that unfortunately led to the business’ downfall.

The essay challenges my thinking of minority groups in the U.S., by leading me to think about how we as people interact with one another. Something I found interesting in the article, was when Nguyen talked about the history of the L.A. Riots of 1992. Even though he opens with the suffering of Asian Americans, he does not discount the fact that Black Americans suffered heavily as well. I find that as we progress in these difficult times of Covid-19, and pressuring social issues, it’s important that people should try and find consideration for one another. Just as Nguyen discusses in the article, Asian Americans and Black Americans have suffered together and marched together in protest. Even though a minority group may experience deep anguish and suffering, it doesn’t mean that they should undergo it alone. For me, one of the biggest takeaways is that people are often stronger when they work in cooperation.