NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Model minority

Model minority refers to a minority ethnic, racial, or religious group whose members achieve a higher degree of success than the population average. It is most commonly used to label one ethnic minority higher achieving than another ethnic minority. This success is typically measured in income, education, and related factors such as low crime rate and high family stability. The term is often characterized as a myth which amounts to racial stereotyping, and that its use may be a political tool and its implications incite jealousy and fighting among ethnic minorities, an example of leveraging majority power dynamics to provoke ill sentiments between minority groups. Most often the term is applied to people whose families come from East Asia or are of East Asian (including Vietnamese in this context) descent though recently, the term has also applied to people of South Asian and occasionally, African descent. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Cover of a magazine featuring an article about the supposed success of the Asian American students (model minority). This is a magazine cover. ... Cover of a magazine featuring an article about the supposed success of the Asian American students (model minority). This is a magazine cover. ... The Newsweek logo Newsweek is a weekly news magazine published in New York City and distributed throughout the United States and internationally. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sociological sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has... An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... For other uses, see Race. ... Various Religious symbols, including (first row) Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Bahai, (second row) Islamic, tribal, Taoist, Shinto (third row) Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, (fourth row) Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess, Maltese cross, pre-Christian Slavonic Religion is the adherence to codified beliefs and rituals that generally involve a faith in a spiritual... In sociology, a group is usually defined as a collection consisting of a number of people who share certain aspects, interact with one another, accept rights and obligations as members of the group and share a common identity. ... Look up success in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Averages redirects here. ... Income, generally defined, is the money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or a business. ... This graph shows the rate of non-fatal firearm-related crime in the United States from 1993 to 2003. ... For other uses, see Family (disambiguation). ... Look up stability in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A 19th century childrens book informs its readers that the Dutch are a very industrious race, and that Chinese children are very obedient to their parents. ... In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that is outnumbered by persons who do not belong to it. ...

Most of the East Asian American community are proud of being called the model minority. They would often cite statistics to back up their model minority image such as high educational achievement, overrepresentation at Ivy League and other prestigious universities, and a high percentage of Asian Americans working in white collar professions (including investment banking, management consulting, finance, and law), often making mid six figures before reaching the age of 30. They would further consider the model minority label to be empowering to their image. For example, second generation Chinese American Frances Kai-Hwa Wang notes that East Asians should not only accept the model minority stereotype, but embrace it because East Asian educational values are a special legacy of their heritages. ^[1] For other uses, see Ivy League (disambiguation). ...

However, while many East Asian Americans are actually proud of the model minority image, a growing number of people within the Asian American community consider the term derogatory. Labeling an entire ethnic group as a "model" is the same labeling an entire ethnic group "lazy" or "stupid." Just because a stereotype is good doesn't make it any less of a stereotype. Some argue that the term "model minority" simply isn't true prompting the term "model minority myth".

Background

The term "model minority" was coined in the mid-1960s by William Petersen to describe Asian Americans as ethnic minorities who, despite marginalization, have achieved success in the United States.^[2]

The purpose was to provide a comparison of capitalist and socialist economies: as capitalism was equated with inequality, particularly in reference to poor African Americans, Asian Americans were chosen as an example of a minority group who could succeed by "merit" alone. Modelminority.com writes: "While superficially complimentary to Asian Americans, the real purpose and effect of this portrayal is to celebrate the status quo in race relations. First, by over-emphasizing Asian American success, it de-emphasizes the problems Asian Americans continue to face from racial discrimination in all areas of public and private life. Second, by misrepresenting Asian American success as proof that the US provides equal opportunities for those who conform and work hard, it excuses US society from careful scrutiny on issues of race in general, and on the persistence of racism against Asian Americans in particular."

Asian Americans

In as little as 100 years of American history, stereotypes of Asian Americans have changed from portraying a "bucked-toothed, slanted-eyed, uncivilized yellow peril" to portraying a hard-working, musically talented, and mathematically brilliant model minority.^[3] Constituting over four percent of the U.S. population in 2000, Asian Americans have exceeded 15 to 20 percent of some of America's most prestigious private universities including the Ivy League, Stanford University, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon, New York University, and the University of Southern California, and outnumber European Americans at many University of California campuses (around 40-50%). Asian Americans are spoken of as a 'model minority' group because the group has been argued to be more successful comparatively than other minority groups. In this context, the term Asian Americans (as a model minority) is used primarily to describe those of East Asian descent, specifically Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and to a lesser extent, Indian, Pakistani, Vietnamese, and Filipino Americans. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual 2004 American Community Survey Report, the median household income of Asian Americans is $56,161, higher than the total population's $44,684.^[4] This article deals primarily with stereotypes of East Asians. ... The Yellow Terror In All His Glory, 1899 editorial cartoon Yellow Peril (sometimes Yellow Terror) was a color metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with immigration of Chinese laborers to various Western countries, notably the United States, and later to the Japanese during the mid 20th... For other uses, see Ivy League (disambiguation). ... Stanford redirects here. ... MapÃºa Institute of Technology (MIT, MapÃºaTech or simply MapÃºa) is a private, non-sectarian, Filipino tertiary institute located in Intramuros, Manila. ... This article is about the person. ... Northwestern University (NU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university with campuses located in Evanston, Illinois and downtown Chicago. ... Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in New York City. ... The Trojan Shrine, better known as Tommy Trojan located in the center of University of Southern California campus. ... European American is a term for an American of European descent, who are usually referred as White or Caucasian. ... Berkeley Davis Irvine Los Angeles Merced Riverside San Diego Santa Barbara Santa Cruz UC Office of the President in Oakland The University of California (UC) is a public university system in the state of California. ... In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that is outnumbered by persons who do not belong to it. ... This article is about the geographical region. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Republic of India is a large country in South Asia, and one of only two countries in the world with a population of over one billion. ... In 1998, Benjamin J. Cayetano became the first Filipino American (and second Asian American after Governor George R. Ariyoshi) to be elected state Governor of the United States. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ...

As of 2000, about 44% of Asian Americans ages 25 or above held a bachelor's degree or higher , as compared to 24% of the whole population.^[5] Also, Asian Americans make up large portions of many esteemed universities graduates have graduated from an elite university (elite university being roughly defined as a school in the Top 40 according to US News and World Report.)^[6] According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2003 report Crime in the United States, Asian Americans have the lowest total arrest rates^[7] despite a younger average age, and high family stability.^[8] Asian Americans have achieved higher Math SAT,^[9] and higher IQ scores (in particular involving high visuospatial aptitude, but average to slightly below average verbal aptitude^[10]) than other ethnic groups (this may be caused by non-native speakers in the relevant subpopulation), even when more socioeconomically deprived.^[11] This article is in need of attention. ... A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ... F.B.I. and FBI redirect here. ... For other uses, see SAT (disambiguation). ... IQ redirects here; for other uses of that term, see IQ (disambiguation). ... Socioeconomics is the study of the social and economic impacts of any product or service offering, market intervention or other activity on an economy as a whole and on the companies, organization and individuals who are its main economic actors. ...

Math SAT scores of relatively poor Asian Americans compare favorably to affluent European Americans, though there are also a high number of very low scores. In the Seattle area, one study published in National Review by Arthur Hu showed that Asian Americans tended to score as well as Whites in the next better suburb. Studies have shown Asian Americans to be, on average, about two years ahead in math ability compared to average, which is also about the same gap observed between nations such as China and Japan compared to the United States. This is despite the fact that Asian Americans have the same school year, and often go to the same urban school systems that serve other minorities. Nationally, Asian Americans tend to get higher grades and have a higher completion rate than whites, and lower rates of discipline, along with lower rates of drug use and premarital sex, entirely inconsistent with the common wisdom that minority status necessarily results in poorer outcomes. Asian Americans still lag on verbal scores because of the predominance of recent immigrants.

History of discrimination

The success of Asian Americans as a group has occurred despite severe discrimination in the previous century, such as, prior to the 1950s, being stereotyped as cheap, uneducated laborers. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, some Americans feared that the western part of the US would be overrun by the "Yellow Peril," prompting initiatives to reduce immigration from Asia, and during World War II, anti-Japanese paranoia led to thousands of Japanese Americans being held in "internment camps" in the USA. In addition, numerous Asian Americans were recent immigrants or their offspring, since immigration laws had limited Asian immigration prior to the mid 1960s. In the mid 1900s, the Yellow Peril stereotype began to give way to recognition of the racial group's socioeconomic accomplishments. An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... The Yellow Terror In All His Glory, 1899 editorial cartoon Yellow Peril (sometimes Yellow Terror) was a color metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with immigration of Chinese laborers to various Western countries, notably the United States, and later to the Japanese during the mid 20th... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956â€“present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic - President George W. Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Socioeconomics is the study of the social and economic impacts of any product or service offering, market intervention or other activity on an economy as a whole and on the companies, organization and individuals who are its main economic actors. ...

Media coverage

Media coverage of the increasing success of Asian Americans as a group began in the 1960s, reporting high average test scores and marks in school, winning national spelling bees, and high levels of university attendance. One such example is the University of California system. For instance, at the University of California, Berkeley, Asian Americans account for 41% of the undergraduate student body as of 2003, almost four times the proportion of Asian Americans in California (11%). At the University of California, Irvine, the Asian American population is 44% as of 2004. At top high schools, Asian Americans constitute even larger proportions of the student body; over half at Stuyvesant High School and Hunter College High School. An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... For other uses, see Spelling bee (disambiguation). ... Berkeley Davis Irvine Los Angeles Merced Riverside San Diego Santa Barbara Santa Cruz UC Office of the President in Oakland The University of California (UC) is a public university system in the state of California. ... Sather Tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The University of California, Irvine is a public research university primarily situated in suburban Irvine, California, USA. Founded in 1965, it is one of ten University of California campuses and is commonly known as UCI or UC Irvine. ... Stuyvesant High School, commonly referred to as Stuy,[3] is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. ... For other uses of the acronym HCHS, see HCHS (disambiguation). ...

Possible Causes of Model Minority status

Stereotypes of East and Southeast Asians are ethnic stereotypes of East Asians and Southeast Asians that are found in Western societies. ...

Self-selective immigration hypothesis

One possible cause of the good performance of Asian Americans as a group is that they represent a small self-selected group of Asians because the difficulty of emigrating filtered out many of those not possessing more resources, motivation, or ability. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... Self-selection is a term used to indicate any situation in which individuals select themselves into a group. ... The term Asian can refer to something or someone from Asia. ...

For example, there are only 3 million Chinese Americans in the United States, and worldwide the total number of overseas Chinese is about 34 million, whereas the total worldwide Chinese population is almost 1.4 billion. Emigration to the United States has always been strictly limited by factors such as the high cost of trans-Pacific transportation, language and cultural barriers, strong racial prejudice against Asians which did not wane until the early 1970s, historical state laws that once prohibited Chinese from working most jobs or owning land, and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which limited Chinese immigration to about 100 individuals per year from 1882 through 1943. Self-selection could be continuing even today, as the current quota of about 25,000 per year is still small compared to the millions of Chinese who would like to immigrate to the United States. A Chinese American is an American who is of ethnic Chinese descent. ... Languages various Religions Predominantly Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and atheism. ... A memorial statue in Hanko, Finland, commemorating the thousands of emigrants who left the country to start a new life in the United States Emigration is the act and the phenomenon of leaving ones native country or region to settle in another. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... The term Asian can refer to something or someone from Asia. ... The Chinese Exclusion Act may be: Another name for the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 in Canada, coined by the Chinese-Canadian community. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In addition, this self-selection occurs in countries which are themselves rising economically: countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, the People's Republic of China, and Japan. Thus, Asian American immigrants generally had high social status in home countries which are themselves rich countries. South Korea and Taiwan count today as developed countries, roughly at the level of European and Japanese development and GDP per capita. However, a large number of Chinese and Japanese Americans are descended from laborers.^{[citation needed]} This means that recent immigrants from countries such as South Korea tend to blend in quickly with the white upper middle class while descendants of earlier immigrants have a much different and more difficult history. World map indicating Human Development Index (as of 2004). ... Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a calculation method in national accounting (see Measures of national income and output) is defined as the total value of final goods and services produced within a countrys borders in a year, regardless of ownership. ...

Moreover, American immigration law holds preference for skilled workers and those with college degrees; as such, many Asian immigrants are well-educated before coming to America and are often in an upper-middle economic bracket. Traditionally and statistically children who have higher-educated parents are more likely to attend college; therefore more emphasis is typically placed on education; this trend is noticeable among White and Black populations as well. It should be noted that income and educational attainment are negatively impacted by affirmative actions for all persons broadly identified as "Asian". Immigration law refers to national government policies which control the phenomenon of immigration to their country. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ...

This hypothesis is supported empirically. The sociologist Stephen Klineberg conducted a 1996 study of Asian Americans in Houston, and found that the Asian American population had little upward mobility. Most Chinese emigrated for educational opportunities, while most Indians and Filipinos emigrated for economic and work advantages. Sociology is the study of the social lives of humans, groups and societies. ... Houston redirects here. ... Social mobility is the degree to which, in a given society, an individuals social status may change throughout the course of his or her life. ...

Other hypotheses

Cultural differences

Cultural factors are thought to be part of the reason why Asian Americans are successful in the United States. East Asian societies themselves, in general, will often place more resources and emphasis on education.^{[citation needed]} For example, the Chinese culture places great value on work ethic and the pursuit of knowledge. In traditional Chinese social stratification, scholars were ranked at the top — well above businessmen and landowners. This view of knowledge is evident in the modern lifestyle of many Asian American families, where the whole family puts emphasis on education and parents will make it their priority to push their children to study and achieve high marks. Similar cultural tendencies and values are found in South and Southeast Asian families, whose children similarly face extra pressure by parents to succeed in school and to achieve high-ranked jobs.^{[citation needed]} An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

Effects of the stereotype

According to Gordon H. Chang: The reference to Asian Americans as model minorities has to do with the work ethic, respect for elders, and high valuation of family and elders present in their culture. Despite the fact that this concept seems to valorize Asian Americans, it comes with an underlying notion of their apoliticality. Moreover, such a label one-dimensionalizes Asian Americans as having those traits and no other human qualities, such as vocal leadership, negative emotions, or intolerance towards oppression. Asian Americans are labeled as model minorities because they have not been as much of a "threat" to the U.S. political establishment as blacks, due to a smaller population and less political advocacy. This label seeks to suppress potential political activism through euphemistic compliments. (Reference: Asian Americans and Politics: Perspective, Experiences, Prospects by Gordon H. Chang.)

Effects of Model Minority stereotyping

Asian Americans being an economically successful group in the US can create a stereotype as a side effect. Asian Americans may also be commonly stereotyped by the general public as being overly studious, smug, materialistic, arrogant about their academic and professional successes, yet passive. In some cases this may have the effect of those with learning disabilities being given less attention than they need. As well, the connotations of being a model minority mean that in school, Asian students are often labeled with the unpopular "nerd" image. Many Asian Americans resent the label of model minority and see it as another attempt to stereotype a minority group. An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... For other uses, see Nerd (disambiguation). ...

Asian Americans as a group have a very low crime rate, but a side effect of their success may be a downplaying of the presence of Asian criminal behavior and gangs in several cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Vancouver as well as in the state of Hawaii. Occasionally however, news of Asian American criminals receives widespread media coverage, such as the infamous Han Twins Murder Conspiracy in 1996, the shooting rampage by physics student Gang Lu at the University of Iowa, Esmie Tseng, an honor student, murdering her mother in 2005, and the Virginia Tech Massacre in 2007 committed by Seung-Hui Cho who killed 32 people and wounded another 25 (total of around 57 people). Mara Salvatrucha suspect bearing gang tattoos is handcuffed. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Houston redirects here. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Han twins The Han twins murder conspiracy was a case of attempted murder by Jeen Han (a. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Gang Lu (left). ... The University of Iowa, also commonly called Iowa or locally UI, is a major coeducational research university located on a 1,900-acre (8 kmÂ²) campus in Iowa City, Iowa, US, on the banks of the Iowa River in East Central Iowa. ... The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting consisting of two separate attacks approximately two hours apart on April 16, 2007, which took place on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Cho Korean pronunciation (IPA) : English pronunciation: IPA: [1] Seung-Hui Cho[2] (January 18, 1984 â€“ April 16, 2007) was a student at Virginia Tech who committed mass murder of 32 people and wounded 25 others in the shooting rampage which has...

The labeling of Asian Americans as the model minority, rather than as a model minority, has led to tensions between them and other minority groups, as well as discrimination in education in curriculum and admissions. The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sociological sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has...

Model minority could be a euphemism for the definitive yuppie culture among young adult Asian Americans — particularly for those employed in typical white-collar occupations e.g. medical, law, investment banking, management consulting, and computer science. More recently, the Asian Americans who fit the typical model minority profile (Ivy League-educated, affluent white collar professional) have conscientiously tried to redefine the model minority image from the stereotype of being an emasculated nerd to a stylish, wealthy sugar daddy-type with plenty of money to burn who possesses the latest brand name materials and hangs out at the trendiest hot spots. Yuppies (young urban professionals, young up and coming professionals or less commonly young upwardly-mobile professionals[1]) is a market segment whose consumers are characterized as self-reliant, financially secure individualists. ... White-collar workers perform tasks which are less laborious yet often more highly paid than blue-collar workers, who do manual work. ... See drugs, medication, and pharmacology for substances that are used to treat patients. ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... Investment banks help companies and governments (or their agencies) raise money by issuing and selling securities in the capital markets (both equity and debt). ... Management consultant redirects here. ... Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... For other uses, see Ivy League (disambiguation). ... White-collar workers perform tasks which are less laborious yet often more highly paid than blue-collar workers, who do manual work. ... Look up Sugar daddy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

However, despite — or perhaps because of — their success and yuppie mentality, there is a growing presence of Asian Americans (many of whom work at some of America's most prestigious firms and/or graduated from the most prestigious universities) committing white collar crimes. The most prominent example is that of Norman Hsu, a Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) educated businessman and former campaign donor to Hillary Clinton who was captured after being a fugitive for sixteen years for failing to appear at a sentencing for a felony fraud conviction. Other Asian American white collar criminals who gained media attention include John Huang, Jay Kim, Henry C. Yuen, and Kyung Joon Kim. For other uses, see Norman Hsu (disambiguation). ... The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is a business school at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. The school was founded by Joseph Wharton, who also was one of the founders of Swarthmore College (founded in 1864), in 1881 as the first collegiate business school in the United States. ... This article is about the private Ivy League university in Philadelphia. ... REDIRECT Hillary Rodham Clinton This is a redirect from a title with another method of capitalisation. ... John Huang A major figure in the 1996 U.S. campaign finance scandal, John Huang (pronounced Wong) worked for Lippo Bank in California, Worthen Bank in Arkansas, and as deputy assistant secretary for international economic affairs in U.S. President Bill Clintons Commerce Department before he became a chief... Chang-Jun Jay Kim (Korean: ê¹€ì°½ì¤€) (born March 27, 1939) is a politician from the U.S. state of California. ... Henry Che-Chuen Yuen (born 7 April, 1948, in Shanghai, China) is a founder and former CEO of Gemstar-TV Guide International. ...

Furthermore, the model minority concept can even be emotionally damaging to Asian Americans, particularly since they are expected to live up to their peers who are part of the model minority. Studies have shown that Asian Americans suffer from higher rates of stress, depression, mental illnesses, and suicide attempts in comparison to other races. ^[12] The pressures to achieve and live up to the model minority image have taken a mental and psychological toll on Asian Americans. ^[13] Yet Asian Americans tend to receive less sympathy from other people because it is assumed that they are the model minority and don't need sympathy, thus contributing to a vicious cycle.

Asian American status in affirmative action

Because of their high degree of success as a group, some Asian Americans do not benefit from affirmative action policies the way other minority groups do. Some schools choose lower-scoring applicants from other racial groups over Asian Americans in an attempt to promote racial diversity and to maintain some proportion to the society's racial demographics.^[14] An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Affirmative action in the United States Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity... The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sociological sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has... For other uses, see Race. ... The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space. ... This article is about proportionality, the mathematical relation. ... Population of the United States, 1790 to 2000 The demographics of the United States depict a largely urban nation, with 57 percent of its population living in places more than 100 miles away from the ocean (2003). ...

Cultural references

This article is about motion pictures. ... Better Luck Tomorrow is a R-rated 2002 drama directed by Justin Lin. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (released in some countries as Harold and Kumar get the Munchies or American High, due to few international White Castle locations) is a comedy movie released in 2004. ... For other uses, see Nerd (disambiguation). ... Asian people[1] is a demonym for people from Asia. ... Map of South Asia South Asia is a subregion of Asia comprising the modern states of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, . It covers about 4,480,000 km², or 10 percent of the continent, and is also known as the Indian subcontinent. ... The word physician should not be confused with physicist, which means a scientist in the area of physics. ... Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas, USA. A medical school or faculty of medicine is a tertiary educational institution â€” or part of such an institution â€” that teaches medicine. ...

Black immigrants from Africa

According to the London Daily Times "Black Africans have emerged as the most highly educated members of British society, surpassing even the Chinese as the most academically successful ethnic minority."^[15] In a side-by-side comparison of 2000 census data by sociologists including John R. Logan at the Mumford Center, State University of New York at Albany, black immigrants from Africa averaged the highest educational attainment of any population group in the U.S., including whites and Asians. Africans in the United States, in the scope of this article, are recent immigrants to the United States from continental Africa and their descendants. ...

According to an analysis of Census Bureau data by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education Some 48.9 percent of all African immigrants hold a college diploma.^[16] This is slightly more than the percentage of Asian immigrants to the U.S., nearly double the rate for native-born white Americans, and nearly four times the rate for native-born African Americans. In an article by Clarence Page for the Chicago Tribune 43.8 percent of African immigrants had achieved a college degree, compared with 42.5 of Asian Americans, 28.9 percent for immigrants from Europe, Russia and Canada and 23.1 percent of the U.S. population. The article beginning with the lines "Do African immigrants make the smartest Americans?" was meant to call attention to the dubiousness of affirmative action.^[17]

Similar to the Asian American population, attainment rates vary widely between countries. While some African immigrants to the United States such as Nigerians,^[18] Egyptians, and Beninese each have around 59% with bachelors degrees, others come as refugees from places such as Sudan and Somalia have comparatively less stellar statistics 40% and 16% respectively.^[19] Out of sub-Saharan Africans, Nigerians have the both the largest number of immigrants as well as the highest educational attainment and income statistics. For all African immigrants, their statistics are only slightly edged out by Egyptians.^[20]

Other US "Model Minority" groups

Jewish Americans are in some interpretations considered a model minority, but those are the kind of Jewish stereotypes that are held to produce antisemitism or negative feelings about Jewish people. Also Mormons have also been identified as exhibiting model minority characteristics of strong family structure, a more puritanical work ethic and frugal prosperity.^[21] Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... A Jewish American (also commonly American Jew) is an American (a citizen of the United States) of Jewish descent who maintains a connection to the Jewish community, either through actively practicing Judaism or through cultural and historical affiliation. ... Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism, also known as judeophobia) is prejudice and hostility toward Jews as a religious, racial, or ethnic group. ... This article is about the history and use of the word Mormon. For information about the religious beliefs and culture of Mormons, see Mormonism. ...

Large numbers of Arab Americans, Iranian Americans and Armenian Americans are also considered a model minority, due to above average rates of academic and commercial success in the United States^[22] despite the wide cultural differences between mostly Islamic and western/non-Islamic countries. Arab Americans constitute an ethnicity made up of several waves of immigrants from 22 Morocco in the west to Oman in the east. ... Iranian-Americans (sometimes called Persian-Americans) are Americans of Iranian descent, including those who are expatriates in exile or permanent immigrants. ... Languages Armenian and American English Religions Armenian Apostolic, Armenian Catholic, Evangelical and Protestant Related ethnic groups Armenian groups An Armenian-American is an American whose ancestry stems, either wholly or partly, from Armenia. ...

In recent years, more white Americans assumed Native Americans are getting "rich" off Indian gaming operations on Indian reservations across the country, which itself is a new version of the stereotyping against Native Americans whom fought for rights to run Indian gaming as part of tribal sovereignity guaranteed by the US government. This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ...

Other Countries

In the United Kingdom, the Irish, the Jewish, Chinese, Indian, and West African immigrants are often considered to be model minorities. For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ...

In some areas of Australia such as Sydney and Melbourne, East Asians, South Asians and Jews are considered a model minority. This is often illustrated by the representation of these groups in selective schools compared to population proportion. This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia. ... Languages Historical Jewish languages Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, others Liturgical languages: Hebrew and Aramaic Predominant spoken languages: The vernacular language of the home nation in the Diaspora, significantly including English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Arabs and other Semitic groups For the Jewish religion, see Judaism. ... A selective school is a school which admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. ...

Negatively viewed success

In certain countries, minority groups successful in economic and other measures have attracted the reverse sort of attention. In Indonesia, for instance, ethnic Chinese—a group which historically have achieved prominence in business and economics—have been the target of violence and measures aimed at reducing their share of the economy. In Indonesia, according to official figures the ethnic Chinese constitute only 3-4% of the population, yet according to some (controversial) studies control as much as three quarters of the wealth.^[23] Bumiputra or Bumiputera (Malay, from Sanskrit Bhumiputra; translated literally, it means son of the soil), is an official definition widely used in Malaysia, embracing ethnic Malays as well as other indigenous ethnic groups such as the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and the tribal peoples in Sabah and Sarawak. ... Chinese Indonesians (Mandarin: YÃ¬ndÃ¹nÃxÄ«yÃ HuÃ¡rÃ©n (Traditional: å°åº¦å°¼è¥¿äºžè¯äºº, Simplified: å°åº¦å°¼è¥¿äºšåŽäººï¼‰ Hakka: Thong ngin, Min: Teng lang, Indonesian: Tionghoa Indonesia, or (derisively) Cina totok) are ethnically Chinese people living in Indonesia, as a result of centuries of overseas Chinese migration. ...

Contents

Background

Asian Americans

History of discrimination

Media coverage

Possible Causes of Model Minority status

Self-selective immigration hypothesis

Other hypotheses

Cultural differences

Effects of the stereotype

Effects of Model Minority stereotyping

Asian American status in affirmative action

Cultural references

Black immigrants from Africa

Other US "Model Minority" groups

Other Countries

Negatively viewed success

See also

External links

References

Contents

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Asian Americans

History of discrimination

Media coverage

Possible Causes of Model Minority status

Self-selective immigration hypothesis

Other hypotheses

Cultural differences

Effects of the stereotype

Effects of Model Minority stereotyping

Asian American status in affirmative action

Cultural references

Black immigrants from Africa

Other US "Model Minority" groups

Other Countries

Negatively viewed success

See also

External links

References

Background