EDITED BY DON T. NAKANISHI AND TINA YAMANO NISHIDA
NEW YORK: ROUTLEDGE, 1995
404 PAGES
The wide-spread perception of Asian Americans as a “model minority” does a profound injustice to Asian Americans and to all other minority groups in America as well. This text examines three main points associated with the myth of the model minority:
1. How did this stereotype come about?
2. What purpose does this misconception serve, and who benefits from its perpetuation?
3. In what ways does this stereotype continue to do harm?
A series of articles from the book reveal the facts behind the myth and provide insight into the manner in which pedagogical practice has accommodated the myth. As shown in these articles, which are of particular interest to teacher educators, preconceived notions about the academic strengths and weaknesses of Asian/Pacific Americans are played out daily in elementary and secondary school classrooms through teacher expectations and teacher-student interaction, and in the offices of guidance counselors by directing Asian/Pacific Americans toward colleges and majors through race-based assumptions of aptitude and interest.