‘Why the Model Minority is a Myth: Debunking Stereotypes of Asian American Students’

The Graduate School’s Diversity and Student Success program presents Dr. Jennifer Ho – ‘Why the Model Minority is a Myth: Debunking Stereotypes of Asian American Students.’

Asian Americans are often believed to be studious, successful, smart, good in science and math—a model minority who excel in education. However, this portrait of perfection is a stereotype, one that despite its positive overtones has damaging ramifications for Asian Americans and other students of color. The model minority myth pits students of color against each other and ignores the reality of systemic racism that Asian American students continue to encounter in and out of academia.

We will discuss just why the model minority is a myth, other problematic stereotypes of Asian American students, and how to address these for Asian American students (undergraduate and graduate alike) at UNC.

The daughter of a refugee father from China and an immigrant mother from Jamaica, Dr. Jennifer Ho is a Professor in the Department of English & Comparative Literature at UNC Chapel Hill, where she teaches courses in Asian American literature, multiethnic American literature, contemporary American literature, and race in general. She also serves as the Associate Director for the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. Her research interests are in critical race theory, anti-racism, and Asian American culture. She is the author of three books, including Racial Ambiguity in Asian American Culture (Rutgers University Press, 2015).