The model minority refers to racialized members of society who defy all odds to become wealthy and successful. These people capture the American dream and are praised for being the “good kind” of minority — the ones you wouldn’t mind living in your neighborhood
“The “The truth truth is, is, this this narrative narrative does does not not guarantee guarantee permanent permanent acceptance acceptance from from society, society, but but instead instead is is aa fleeting fleeting fragment fragment of of past past racial racial politics.” politics.”
If the model minority narrative cannot save us from hate crimes, what is it good for?
6 | THE MUSLIM VOICE | SPRING 2021
Mir Sy
Good M VS Bad Mu
“I am not your model minority”
Mirha Syed
photo by Pierre Bamin , on Unsplash
The model minority namely uplifts Asian Americans for their upward mobility and integration into our society, as opposed to minorities who couldn’t. Not only does this myth perpetuate the narrative that Asians are naturally more intelligent, more successful, and more submissive than others, it pits racialized groups against one another. While many of our parents taught us that passivity and academic excellence grants full assimilation into society, the reality is that a majority of Asians and immigrants still feel like the “Other.” The truth is, this narrative does not guarantee permanent acceptance from society, but instead is a fleeting fragment of past racial politics.
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iving in North America as a Muslim has been challenging due to the region’s increasingly polarized climate. In recent years, we’ve witnessed injustices brought out by the Trump administration’s ‘Muslim Ban,’ as well as recent spike in hate crimes hitting an alltime high since 2001. Those enduring this experience largely consist of an immigrant population — namely Asian immigrants — and learned their values, traditions, and way of life from their elders. For the older generations of Muslims living abroad, these values are deeply rooted in the model minority narrative. However, in order to combat racism in the pursuit of justice, our activism must transcend past performative actions, including rejecting the narrative that most of us relate to.
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