179: Fancy Asians, Jungle Asians, and the Model Minority Myth

Have you ever been that kid who tugged at the corner of your eyes, pretending to be Asian, or maybe even mocked people of Asian descent? In today’s episode, Sara shares the story of when a little neighborhood boy did that to her.

Sure, there might be some sweeping generalizations you can make about Asian people - a lot tend to have dark hair, more almond-shaped eyes - but the truth is, in America, people who fall into the broad bucket of “Asian” have among the largest differences of all the large groupings like White, or Black, or Hispanic. Asians are NOT all the same.

So today, we’ll discuss all the basic things you need to know about the model minority myth - NO we are not all good at math nor do we all play the violin - and what you can do differently to make sure you’re not that person.

For more, go buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and make sure you’re following this podcast for more!

What to listen for:

When and how the concept of a model minority was created

The things that are wrong about the model minority myth
Three things you can do differently: catch yourself if you make assumptions about Asian people; don’t ask “where are you really from?” and know why that’s not okay; learn more about the many different narratives of Asian countries and people.

Related episodes:

Episode 107: We have a White accountability problem

Episode 112: Asians at (Public) School, with Alan Mak

Episode 113: Anti-Asian Racism Ain’t New, People

Episode 115: Asians at Work, with Jerry Won

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.