Economic Assimilation of Asian American Immigrants by Nationality: Aging and Cohort Effects, and the Model Minority Myth

Abstract

This paper examines the income profiles of Asian American immigrants from six major Asian countries of origin, disaggregated, relative to U.S. natives between 1970 and 2020. We observe more recent cohorts to experience either higher or similar levels of relative entry wages compared to older cohorts for all six Asian countries. Further, while the “model minority” stereotype often suggests that Asians collectively work tirelessly to achieve success, leading to smoother economic assimilation into American society compared to immigrants from other backgrounds, our findings challenge this notion. We discover that economic assimilation among immigrants from these six Asian countries of origin follows distinct patterns, and there is no overarching narrative that supports the idea of a collective “model minority” among them.