Model Minority Research Articles

LGBT sexuality and gender minority experiences of minority stress: a comparison of models and theories

Compelling evidence demonstrates that Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) populations have a higher prevalence of mental disorders compared to their heterosexual peers (Meyer in Psychol Bull 129(5):674–697, 2003). This has been attributed to minority stressors in the minority stress model. Since this model was established in 2003, there have been significant socio-political events that discriminate against SGM LGBTQ+ individuals. There have also been rival hypotheses, including rejection sensitivity (Feinstein in Arch Sex Behav 49(7):2247–2258, 2020) and ‘misperceiving of neutral events’ (Bailey in Arch Sex Behav 49(7):2265–2268, 2019). Examine SGM perspectives and investigate how well they align with Meyers model (2003). 16 qualitative studies capturing SGM minority stress experiences were extracted from scientific databases and, thematically analysed deductively using Meyer’s minority stress model, in addition to generating original subthemes. This systematic review thematically analysed 16 eligible studies, which generated 6 superordinate themes (Discrimination, Lack of representation, Navigation, Harassment, Depersonalization and Mental Health Outcomes) and 18 sub-themes. These themes were then situated in categories from Meyer’s Minority Stress Model (2003) (Circumstances, Minority Status, Distal stressors, Proximal stressors, and Mental health outcomes). SGM-specific stress experiences integrated into the Minority Stress Model (circumstances, navigation, distal, proximal, and mental health outcomes). The collected data elaborated the model with sub-themes such as discrimination, lack of representation, vigilance, depression, body image and positive coping in sum, this study offers support for and updates Meyer’s minority stress model whilst rejecting competing theories (Bailey 2019; Feinstein 2019).

Critical Issues Facing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Organizations and Society

The discussion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the context of the West is uniquely complex. AAPIs are often held up as “model minorities,” resulting in exclusion from many equity conversations. The lack of attention focusing on the experiences of AAPI communities in organizations and society suggests a need for us to remedy this. In this special issue, we curated a collection of eight papers that tackle a broad range of issues that advance conversations of AAPI communities and diasporas. We contend that it may be particularly beneficial to take a critical perspective (using Asian Critical Theory or AsianCrit) to bring to light and challenge systemic issues faced by AAPI communities in Western workplaces and societies. We also call for a post-model minority narrative, which has the potential to mitigate the adverse impacts that the notion of a model minority has on both intragroup and intergroup relations and well-being.

Examining the Role of Cultural and Family Factors in Substance Use Risk Among Indian American Youth

Introduction Although Indian Americans constitute the second-largest immigrant group in the United States, there is a paucity of information about Indian American youth, particularly with respect to substance use risk. We examined the relationship of social factors to permissive substance use beliefs (a proxy for substance use risk since they can lead to adulthood substance use and misuse) and family functioning. Methods The study used structural equation modeling to examine the prevalence of permissive substance use beliefs in a sample of Indian American youth ages 12–17 (N = 223) and examined the degree to which discrimination, bicultural identity integration, and endorsement of the model minority stereotype were associated with permissive substance use beliefs. Results Findings suggest that bicultural identity integration (B = 0.267 [SE = 0.112], p = 0.01) and discrimination (B = 0.294 [SE = 0.087], p = 0.001) are positively associated with permissive substance use beliefs. Bicultural identity integration (B = 0.415 [SE = 0.090], p = 0.0001) was positively associated with family support (B= −0.329 [SE = 0.108], p = 0.002) which, in turn, was associated with less permissive substance use beliefs. In contrast, endorsement of the model minority stereotype (B = 0.351 [SE = 0.090], p = 0.001) was positively associated with family closeness (B = 0.232 [SE = 0.927], p = 0.01) which, in turn, was associated with family support and then with less permissive substance use beliefs. Conclusions Discrimination and bicultural identity integration emerged as key constructs related to substance use risk among Indian American youth. These youth could benefit from culturally appropriate prevention programming that addresses the negative impact of discrimination and its effect on permissive substance use beliefs and highlights protective factors.

Author’s Response

Author’s Response

Model Minority Melancholia: Mourning and Resisting Anti-Asian Violence

ABSTRACT Anti-Asian violence is a regular part of US history, but surged during the Covid-19 pandemic because of the virus’s association with China, and then-US President Trump’s use of racist rhetoric to name the virus and its resulting spread. In response and in resistance to these acts of violence, protests and educational efforts increased as well, rooted in the grief and mourning spurred by the attacks. This essay examines these affects as symptoms of a racialized melancholia that is part of US political enactments of national belonging. This melancholia is related to the model minority identity, which is organized around a spiritualized ideal of assimilation that mystifies the causes of anti-Asian violence and its function in cohering US national identity as a settler-colonial state. Rather than a pathology to overcome, interrogating model minority melancholia may expose a different foundation for imagining national belonging that doesn’t rely on anti-Asian violence.

Reinforcing or challenging the status quo: A grounded theory of how the model minority myth shapes Asian American activism.

Compared to other People of Color in the United States, Asian Americans are often seen as uninterested in activism. Furthermore, the widespread model minority myth (MMM) perpetuates the monolithic image of Asian Americans as successful in society and thus unaffected by racial oppression and uninterested in activism. Despite others' perceptions, Asian American college students have historically engaged in activist efforts and worked to reject the stereotypical views of their racial group as apolitical under the MMM. However, much remains to be learned about the consequences of the MMM on Asian American college students' perceptions and engagement in activism, and how such individuals make sense of the MMM and activism through interacting with their ecological contexts. Thus, the present study addresses this gap in the literature and is guided by the question: How do Asian American college students' perspectives and engagement in activism develop and operate in relation to the MMM? Using a constructivist grounded theory analytic approach, 25 Asian American college students participated in semistructured interviews, and our findings developed a grounded theory of how Asian American college students are embedded within micro- and macrolevel environments (e.g., familial, cultural, and societal contexts) that uphold the MMM and further shape how they make sense of and engage in activism. Results further revealed the consequences of the MMM as a legitimizing ideology on Asian American students' attitudes toward and involvement in challenging and/or reinforcing the status quo. Implications for future research and practice supporting Asian American activism and the broader pursuit for social justice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Do Beliefs in the Model Minority Stereotype Reduce Attention to Inequality that Adversely Affects Asian Americans?

Do Beliefs in the Model Minority Stereotype Reduce Attention to Inequality that Adversely Affects Asian Americans?

Perceived discrimination, model minority stereotyping, and anxiety symptoms in chinese-heritage college students.

Perceived racial discrimination has been associated with elevated anxiety symptoms. Less is known about the mental health implications of another race-related stressor, model minority stereotyping, which is a salient experience for Chinese-heritage youth. In addition, despite theoretical considerations and indirect empirical evidence suggesting that greater autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity may index sensitivity to race-related stressors, ANS reactivity has not been examined as a moderator of links between race-related stressors and mental health. The present study investigated cross-sectional associations between self-reports of two salient race-related stressors (perceived discrimination and model minority stereotyping) and anxiety symptoms in Chinese-heritage youth, as well as whether ANS reactivity moderates these relationships. Chinese-heritage U.S. college students (N = 198, 55.6% female, 18-25 years, Mage = 20.0 years) self-reported experiences with race-related stressors. ANS reactivity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] and pre-ejection period [PEP]) to a video depicting discrimination was collected on a subsample of participants (N = 103). Although both race-related stressors were positively correlated with anxiety symptoms, only perceived discrimination was uniquely associated with anxiety symptoms. Further, RSA (but not PEP) reactivity moderated the relationship between perceived discrimination and anxiety symptoms, such that associations were stronger for participants with greater RSA withdrawal. Our results replicate findings on the discrimination-anxiety link in Chinese-heritage college students, and show that model minority stereotyping is correlated with greater anxiety symptoms. Findings suggest that individuals with heightened RSA reactivity may be especially vulnerable to the adverse effect of discrimination. These findings have implications for mental health services for Chinese-heritage U.S. college students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

UNTANGLING THE MODEL MINORITY STEREOTYPE: PROMOTING HEALTH EQUITY AMONG ASIAN AMERICAN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract The “model minority” stereotype portrays Asian Americans (AAs) as a monolithic group with common traits, e.g., high levels of education and income, and better health status. Five studies in this symposium used multiple data sources and provided rich information to untangling this stereotype. The first study highlighted racial/ethnic disparities in help-seeking behaviors among Americans with subjective cognitive decline, revealing that AAPIs exhibit the lowest likelihood of seeking help for cognitive problems. The second study examined the degree to which socioeconomic disparity contributes to functional impairment among older AAs relative to other racial/ethnic groups, revealing that AAs fare worst in the burden of functional impairment due to education disparity. The third paper explored the cultural adaptation of the NYUCI for Chinese and Korean dementia caregivers, showing that cultural beliefs have a profound effect on caregivers’ views of dementia and caregiving, their use of social and family support, and their understanding of self-care and counseling services. The fourth study assessed factors linked to depressive symptoms among older Southeast AAs, revealing that Vietnamese Americans have significantly more depressive symptoms than Indonesian and Filipino Americans. Resilience and age are negatively related to depressive symptoms, while greater family conflict and inability to speak English fluently are positively associated with depressive symptoms. The fifth study used a large longitudinal survey on older Chinese Americans and demonstrated that higher acculturation levels are associated with a more rapid decline in depression and a slower decline in activities of daily living but are not related to long-term cognitive changes.

Patterns of Ostracism Experienced by Canadian Medical Trainees of Asian Sub-ethnicities

Phenomenon : Ostracism has negative effects on one’s fundamental needs. North Americans of Asian ethnicities are at an increased risk of ostracism due to stereotypes labeling them as inherently different to Western cultural norms. We explored Asian Canadian medical trainees’ experiences with ostracism during their clinical training. Approach : We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 medical trainees of Asian ethnicities at 3 Canadian medical schools to explore experiences of ostracism and conducted a thematic analysis guided by the theoretical framework of the temporal need threat model of ostracism. Findings : Participants from East-, South-, and Southeast-Asian sub-ethnic groups completed the study. They voiced experiences of being excluded from clinical and social settings. Ostracism was mainly fueled by systemic racism, power dynamics in medical education, and non-diverse training environments. The model minority myth was a significant contributor to experiences of ostracism. Trainees felt their well-being threatened and many felt resigned to accept ostracism going forward. Insights : Ostracism poses a significant threat to the wellbeing and career progression of Asian Canadian medical trainees. Trainees facing covert ostracism were particularly at risk of entering the resignation stage of hopelessness. This underrecognized problem needs to be addressed by institutions to dismantle harmful stereotypes and prejudiced practices facing these minoritized communities.

Elite schooling in the city: the model minority myth and urban education

ABSTRACT The movie Try Harder! features a group of students at Lowell High School in San Francisco, California, as they navigate their elite public institution and apply to top-tier universities. A critical analysis of this film allows us to understand new trends and emerging discourses in urban cities, showing the way racialized groups are pit against each other to legitimize white supremacy. I employ the lenses of critical studies of race to examine the following questions: (1) how does the model minority myth shape urban contexts? and (2) how are racial, political, and academic discourses constructing notions of merit via the film Try Harder? Few studies examine the model minority myth in relation to urban contexts, despite its rising influence in political debates and education policy. This paper aims to fill this void by addressing the changing landscape of urban education and academic discourse.

“We have to lie low … that sort of poisons me more and more”: A qualitative study of violent political rhetoric and health implications for Spanish and Chinese speaking immigrants

BackgroundIn recent years, the historical legacy of anti-immigrant sentiment in the US has resurfaced, fueled by a new wave of anti-immigrant political rhetoric. Violent political rhetoric, defined as either explicit or metaphorically targeted language to dehumanize targeted groups, can incite discriminatory treatment of immigrants at both interpersonal and institutional levels, shaping their health and healthcare experiences. This qualitative study explores and compares how Spanish- and Chinese-speaking immigrant populations in Chicago make sense of violent political rhetoric against their racial and ethnic identities, utilize coping strategies to maintain their sense of belonging, and experience downstream health consequences. MethodsIn 2019, 14 semi-structured focus groups were conducted among immigrants to the U.S. (n = 79). Participants were recruited from four community sites in either Hispanic/Latino or Chinese neighborhoods in Chicago. Focus groups were conducted by racially- and linguistically concordant interviewers in Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese. The research team developed a codebook iteratively and analyzed transcripts using grounded theory and the constant comparison method. ResultsParticipants included Chinese (61%) and Spanish-speaking immigrants (39%), with an average age of 61.4 years (sd = 13); the majority were female (62%), unemployed (68%), and attained less than a high school diploma (53%). Self-reported stress due to political rhetoric was more pronounced among Spanish-speaking participants (93%) than Chinese participants (39.6%). Immigrants responded to manifestations of violent political rhetoric in numerous ways including mobilizing the model minority myth with internalized racism, anticipatory stress, and “high effort” coping mechanisms (John Henryism), all with downstream health effects. ConclusionViolent political rhetoric is one of the mechanisms by which racism and xenophobia exacerbate a toll on the health of racialized immigrant groups. These processes have implications for both interpersonal and institutional experiences, as well as health and healthcare interactions. We propose a conceptual model that outlines these mechanisms and points to potential areas of intervention to ameliorate immigrant health inequities.

(Un)Palatable encounters: Melancholic appetites in Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist

ABSTRACT Drawing on scholarship on racial melancholia and food studies, this article traces the melancholic appetites manifested in Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist and examines how alimentary desires stand in for the consumptive desires of the US nation state in relation to the model minority as well as the recuperative mourning undertaken by the protagonist Changez upon his return to Pakistan. A double encounter with Lahori cuisine and melancholic testimony in the novel pushes the American interlocutor towards acknowledging a political responsibility for the consequences of US actions during the War on Terror. Hamid’s work highlights how melancholic subjects challenge nationalist narratives of racial progress by unearthing those racialized experiences which have been submerged, silenced, or underemphasized. This article thus highlights the possibility raised by the novel for grieving and healing the psychological wounds of racism so that Changez, the minoritized subject, does not remain locked into generational cycles of dejection.

Ideological and Experiential Predictors of Asian Americans’ Attitudes Towards Black Americans

Drawing on the theories of Kim’s racial triangulation and Allport’s intergroup contact, this study examined ideological and experiential predictors of Asian Americans’ interracial attitudes and solidarity with Black Americans. In a community sample of 249 Asian Americans, hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the ideological variables of internalized racism and model minority myth were associated with greater anti-Black attitudes. Internalized model minority myth of unrestricted mobility was also related to reduced intergroup solidarity. Conversely, the experiential variables of close and general contact with Black Americans were respectively related to greater pro-Black attitudes and intergroup solidarity. Additionally, higher quality of general contact buffered the negative association between internalized model minority myth and intergroup solidarity. The findings highlight the importance of deconstructing internalized racial beliefs rooted in White supremacy and cultivating quality intergroup contact between Black and Asian Americans. Implications for practice, community intervention, training, and research are discussed.

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

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.

(In)visible Muslim Girls

There are days I feel invisible, and days I wish I were. As a Brown Shia woman in hijab, I often feel as though people fail to see me, or do not care to. My experiences as a hijabi woman had me feeling simultaneously visible and invisible as those around me tried to decide which version of the Muslim girl I was—the oppressed Muslim girl who needed to be saved, the radical, or for those within my community, the good Muslim girl. The reality is I am none of these. In re/telling my stories, I explore how misrepresentations in the media made me question aspects of my identity and created feelings of (in)visibility, had me striving to be the model minority, and finally, how the hijab became a source of pride and a tool of resistance.

Exploring Chinese and Korean American Teachers' Perceptions of Their Cultural Identity as Assets and Barriers.

The representation of Asian American teachers in schools is a unique asset in promoting diversity and advocating for social justice. However, they also face various barriers that negatively affect their work experiences. The diverse nature of the Asian American population is likely to yield different assets and barriers among teachers from different ethnic groups. To gain insight into how Chinese and Korean American teachers perceive their cultural identity in their teaching practices, we utilized a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with nine teachers who identified as Chinese and/or Korean American in K-12 public schools in California. Findings based on thematic analyses of the interview data revealed several assets, including empathy and understanding towards minority groups, more exposure to diversity, increased representation, and shared language skills. However, there were also identified barriers, including internalized model minority beliefs, cultural expectations of being passive observers, internalized racism, an overemphasis on education, and a savior complex. Based on our findings, we provide practical suggestions for recruiting and retaining Chinese and Korean American teachers in schools.

Asian American Racialization in America’s Top-Ranked Public High Schools: Synchronizing Discourses of Model Minority and Perpetual Foreigner

ABSTRACT Asian Americans are racialized into a highly complex and somewhat paradoxical position in the U.S. racial matrix. Drawing on interviews with parents at highly selective public magnet schools, this critical discourse analysis explores the processes of Asian American racialization and examines the ways that parents invoke and mobilize the racializing discourses of model minority and perpetual foreigner when discussing the Asian American student presence at their children’s schools. I first show how the model minority myth functions as a discursive racial weapon used to harm other communities of color, and then I demonstrate how Asian American students and families are simultaneously racialized by both model minority and perpetual foreigner discourses as competitive threats, outsiders whose presence causes unease and discomfort, and foreigners with inferior practices. Examining these racializing discourses and the ways that they function in synchrony is critical to understanding the racialized position of Asian Americans.

Asian American parenting in a racialized world: The role of ideological contexts and intergenerational gaps

AbstractObjectiveTo understand the challenges that have impeded Asian American parents' critical responses toward racism, we looked at interpretive contexts, as well as the recent immigration contexts and their impacts on intergenerational relationships.BackgroundAsian Americans are the fastest growing diverse group in the United States. The advent of COVID‐19 resulted in a dramatic increase of anti‐Asian hate crimes.MethodsWe reviewed research on Asian American parents' racialized experiences and the challenges they face when raising children to respond to racism. With a contextual perspective, we highlighted three ideological concepts that have shaped the interpretive context for Asian American parents' responses to racism, including the model minority myth, the just‐world view, and the cultural maintenance model. We also looked at how recent waves of immigration may have compounded intergenerational gaps in many Asian American families, with both developmental and acculturational differences between generations.Results and ConclusionUnderstanding these contexts provides insights into how to best support Asian American parents as they communicate with their children on complicated topics. These support can help faciliate these parents' ability to remain grounded in their ethnic‐racial group, while uniting with other diverse groups in dismantling racism.ImplicationsInformational and sociocultural resources are needed to help Asian American parents develop racial literacy and seek changes. We encourage practitioners to develop cultural competency and deepen their understanding of immigrant families' developmental and acculturational needs.

The Talented Tenth Meets the Twenty-First Century: Young, Gifted and Diverse in the Post-Affirmative Action Era

Abstract In the wake of the Supreme Court's dismantling of affirmative action policies in higher education in its SFFA v. Harvard ruling, this review essay offers a detailed explication of the relevant themes Camille Z. Charles, Rory Kramer, Douglas Massey, and Kimberly C. Torres analyze in “Young, Gifted, and Diverse: Origins of the New Black Elite.” Taking DuBois's conceptualization of the “Talented Tenth” as their starting point, the authors present a combination of quantitative and qualitative research to examine the experiences and aspirations of Black students who matriculated to elite colleges over a decades-long period. This analysis expands Charles et al.'s intersecting themes of social mobility, colorism, and model minority discourses, situating them within a broader discursive field that includes the relevant historical and contemporary sociopolitical contexts as reflected in the Court's majority and dissenting opinions.